The U.S. House of Representatives passed sweeping gun reform legislation on Wednesday following a spate of high-profile mass shootings across the country. The vote was 223-204 with five Republicans crossing the aisle.
None of Tennessee’s seven Republican members of Congress voted in favor of the package. Memphis Rep. Steve Cohen and Nashville Rep. Jim Cooper — Tennessee’s only two Democratic members — voted for the bill.
C-Span.org Image source: C-Span
Among the reforms in the “Protecting Our Kids Act,” the bill raises the minimum age to purchase many semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 years old, establishes new restrictions on selling large-capacity ammunition magazines and compensates local governments for buyback programs. It also includes incentives to encourage the use of safe gun storage devices and creates new penalties for violating safe storage requirements.
In a floor speech before the vote, Rep. Cohen called the U.S. “wild with guns” and said AR-15s should not be sold to teenagers.
“It’s been proven scientifically that the male brain is not developed to a certain point to be trusted at that time with that type of weapon,” said Cohen. “Those are weapons of war.”
Republican Congressman John Rose of Cookeville tweeted his opposition to the bill, H.R. 7910, echoing others in his party who argue the measures are unconstitutional.
Read my statement on H.R. 7910, the Democrats’ unconstitutional gun restrictions bill. pic.twitter.com/zKWjU9SK2i
— Congressman John Rose (@RepJohnRose) June 8, 2022
The bill is not expected to pass the Senate, where a more modest set of gun reforms is currently under discussion.
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