The Disaster That Is the Bipartisan Gun Control Framework
Twenty senators — 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans — signed a statement supporting the following framework:
Support for State Crisis Intervention Orders
Provides resources to states and tribes to create and administer laws that help ensure deadly weapons are kept out of the hands of individuals whom a court has determined to be a significant danger to themselves or others, consistent with state and federal due process and constitutional protections.
Investment in Children and Family Mental Health Services
National expansion of community behavioral health center model; major investments to increase access to mental health and suicide prevention programs; and other support services available in the community, including crisis and trauma intervention and recovery.
Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence
Convicted domestic violence abusers and individuals subject to domestic violence restraining orders are included in NICS, including those who have or have had a continuing relationship of a romantic or intimate nature.
Funding for School-Based Mental Health and Supportive Services
Invests in programs to expand mental health and supportive services in schools, including: early identification and intervention programs and school based mental health and wrap-around services.
Funding for School Safety Resources
Invests in programs to help institute safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools, support school violence prevention efforts and provide training to school personnel and students.
Clarification of Definition of Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer
Cracks down on criminals who illegally evade licensing requirements.
Telehealth Investments
Invests in programs that increase access to mental and behavioral health services for youth and families in crisis via telehealth.
Under 21 Enhanced Review Process
For buyers under 21 years of age, requires an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records, including checks with state databases and local law enforcement.
Penalties for Straw Purchasing
Cracks down on criminals who illegally straw purchase and traffic guns.
President Biden, Senator Majority Leader Schumer, and Senate Minority Leader McConnell support it now too.
Every Republican who supports this framework should be primaried.
It’s a disaster for five main reasons:
How are we going to pay for it? Crickets. If these proposals are such a priority to the above Senators then surely they can find areas in our $6 trillion dollar budget to cut to pay for it.
Why is this a federal responsibility? Multi-billion dollar state budgets already fund “mental health,” “school safety,” and “red flag laws” so if they want to increase funding then that’s their prerogative. Our federal government is incompetent at its current responsibilities so it doesn’t need to take on more.
Any increase in safety should be commensurate to an equal or greater increase in liberty. Where are the measures that would strengthen the 2nd Amendment such as by abolishing gun taxes? And if you’re going to use an 18-year-old’s juvenile record against them then where is the law that would expunge it when they’re 21 years old?
What percentage of the money that goes to “mental health” and “school safety” is effectively going to Democrats who advocate for gender theory and gun control? According to FEC data, 90% of mental health professionals are Democrats and the U.S. already spends more than virtually any country on Earth in education so why not take some of the money that goes to “administrators” and put it toward security or just build a human wall of administrators in front of every school to at least make them useful.
And finally, these Republicans are playing into the leftwing statist narrative that guns and mental health are the primary drivers for these mass shootings when America has always had nutcases and guns. We had one mass shooting during the entire 1950s. What’s changed? Our federal government is bigger than ever before both in terms of spending and mandates. This framework would only add to that consolidation of power. If we had less government force in our society again then we’d have less indebted, isolated, and ignorant youth turning to force.