WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A shooting in a Manhattan skyscraper late on Monday that killed four people, including a New York City police officer, has been marked by statements of sorrow and prayers for the victims’ families, but no sign of the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress seeking tougher controls on guns.
Here is a summary of recent political developments around the issue:
LOOSER GUN CONTROLS
Gun rights, which are protected by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, are a virtually untouchable issue for Republicans, who control the White House and both chambers of Congress and strongly oppose any encroachment on them.
Democrats’ long-standing calls for more stringent controls on firearms, which now number around 400 million in the U.S., have shown few results.
Indeed, part of Trump’s sweeping tax-cut bill, which he signed into law on July 4, eased a century-old tax on gun silencers, known as “suppressors,” and short-barrel rifles.
2022 GUN LAW
When Democrats last had majorities in Congress and held the White House, the first significant gun control legislation in nearly 30 years was enacted in 2022. It was approved with some Republican support and came after mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, which killed more than 30 people, including 19 children.
The measure took modest steps, including tightening background checks for would-be gun purchasers convicted of domestic violence or significant crimes as juveniles.
Since then, Congress has shown little appetite to build on that law, and Republican support for gun rights may have hardened.
Senator John Cornyn of Texas, for example, was met with a backlash from some constituents and party activists over his support for the 2022 measure, and he now faces a potentially stiff challenge in his 2026 primary election.
CONGRESS OUT OF STEP WITH THE PUBLIC?
A Reuters/Ipsos poll in 2022 found that 84% of Americans supported extending background checks for all firearms purchases.
In a report published on July 24, the Pew Research Center noted a 2023 survey finding that 61% of Americans said it is too easy to legally obtain a gun, with 58% favoring stricter gun laws. And 66% wanted a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, while 64% favored a ban on assault-style weapons, Pew wrote.
In a speech to the Senate after the Manhattan shootings on Park Avenue, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said: “As we mourn this awful day in New York, we cannot keep meeting these moments with thoughts and prayers alone. We owe these families more than silence. We owe them action.”
But he did not use his somber speech to call for the passage of specific legislation.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan;Editing by Rod Nickel)
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