Senators, congressman praise bipartisan gun bill

Jun. 28—Over the weekend, President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law.

Biden thanked legislators for their work passing the law, and said while the bill does not do everything he would like to do, it covers many actions he has called for in the past.

According to information from the White House, the legislation will clarify current laws on who needs a federal license to sell a gun, impose an enhanced background check process, narrow a loophole that previously allowed someone convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence while dating to purchase a gun and provide funding to states to implement extreme risk protection order programs.

The law will also provide funding for community violence intervention and the National Criminal Instant Background Check System.

U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (OH-14) voted in favor of the law, and said in a press release he is committed to the Second Amendment and opposed to bills that chip away rights of law-abiding citizens, but in favor of bipartisan solutions that will genuinely help prevent gun violence.

"This commonsense public safety bill proves that we can stop murderers without infringing on the rights of law-abiding Americans," Joyce said in the release. "When it is signed into law, we will have not only empowered states to make the decisions necessary to meet the unique safety needs of their communities, but also preserved the protected and fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution for all law-abiding citizens."

Joyce called for media and video games to stop glorifying violence in the press release. "Our laws needed to change, but so too must our entertainment culture that has brought this sadistic madness into the limelight," he said.

Ohio's two senators also voted in favor of the law.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown said in a release the law is the first meaningful progress on gun safety in decades.

"Expanding background checks for those under 21, real investment in mental health, progress on red flag laws, and closing the boyfriend loophole are all important reforms with broad, bipartisan support," he said. "After years of effort, a bipartisan majority finally listened to parents, law enforcement, and the vast majority of the public, and stood up to the gun lobby."

Senator Rob Portman said in a release the law takes commonsense steps to improve access to mental health, protect children, improve school safety, and reduce the threat of gun violence.

"The bill will provide additional resources to make our schools and communities safer and address mental health issues that are the root cause of many of the shootings in our country," Portman said in a Thursday press release. "Today's Senate action is further proof that both parties can work together to make progress on difficult issues."