Senate Democrats propose DOJ license requirement for gun purchases

A trio of senators plan to introduce legislation on Thursday that will require residents to acquire a Department of Justice (DOJ) license before purchasing or obtaining a legal firearm. 

The bill would also raise the legal age for obtaining a firearm to 21 years old.

The bill was introduced by Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

It has virtually no chance of becoming law given GOP opposition, but gives a sense of the breadth of restrictions on gun access that some lawmakers would favor imposing in the wake of years of mass shootings in the nation.

On Saturday, 10 people were killed at a Buffalo supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood by a lone gunman who released a racist screed before the attack that suggested he had targeted African Americans.

According to the bill text, the Federal Firearm Licensing Act will require residents to complete a written firearm safety test and hands-on testing, which includes firing testing, to get the license to acquire a firearm. 

The license will also require those wanting to buy a gun to submit a criminal background check, fingerprints and proof of identity. 

In a statement to Politico, which first reported the legislation, Booker said this is the time to “enact ambitious legislation” on this ongoing issue. 

“This is the moment to enact ambitious legislation – as a nation, we must rise to it, or we are fated to witness the deadly scenes of this past weekend and years past over again,” Booker said in a statement.