On Thursday night, the Senate passed its gun bill (the Safer Communities Bill) on a 65 to 33 vote. The bill now goes to the House, where it is expected to pass, and then to President Biden (who has said he would sign it).
Politicians are celebrating the passage, and telling Americans the bill will save American lives. I believe they are wrong. The bill is not a lifesaver, but a bit of political theater designed to get votes in November.
The bill did do one thing that was badly needed -- it provided more money for treatment of the mentally ill. The mentally ill have been shortchanged for decades, and hopefully, it will allow many more to get the treatment they need. But don't expect that to reduce gun violence. Most of the mentally ill are not dangerous, and most people committing gun violence are not mentally ill.
The bill also provides money to help states create and administer red-flag laws. But it does not mandate those red-flag laws, and most red states will not pass such laws.
The bill also allowed the examination of juvenile records for background checks, and closed the "boyfriend" loopholes in the background check law. Neither of these actually mean anything, since the bill does NOT close the loopholes in the background check law. Anyone who cannot buy a gun from a registered gun dealer can still get one at a gun show or from a private individual.
The Seante could a passed a bill that really would reduce gun violence. They could have closed the loopholes in the background check law. They could have banned assault-style weapons. They could have banned high capacity ammunition magazines. They could have raised the age to purchase a gun. They could have created a federal red-flag law. They could have extended the waiting period for buying a gun.
But they did none of those things (all of which are supported by a significant majority of Americans). So don't be fooled. The Senate bill was just a bit of feel-good political theater, accomplishing nothing.
This chart is from the Gallup Poll -- done between June 1st and 20th of a national sample of 1,015 adults, with a 4 point margin of error.
