Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Sunday applauded a group of 20 senators who announced earlier in the day that they had reached a framework deal on potential gun legislation.
McConnell deputized Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to negotiate with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and other Democrats on gun-related measures following a string of high-profile mass shootings, including a massacre at an elementary school in Cornyn’s home state.
Cornyn and Murphy were part of the group of 20 senators who announced on Sunday a framework to provide incentives for states to implement “red flag” laws, increase funding for school security and mental health services.
“The principles they announced today show the value of dialogue and cooperation,” McConnell said in a statement.
Any bill would need 10 Republicans to sign on. That many GOP lawmakers signed the announcement released on Sunday.
McConnell said he hoped the lawmakers would come to a consensus on what he called a “bipartisan product”
“I continue to hope their discussions yield a bipartisan product that makes significant headway on key issues like mental health and school safety, respects the Second Amendment, earns broad support in the Senate and makes a difference for our country,” McConnell said on Sunday.
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who has been involved in the negotiations, said last week he hoped half of his Senate Republican colleagues would vote for the potential bill.