US House passes bipartisan gun bill, sending it to Biden's desk

WASHINGTON

US House passed a bipartisan gun control bill on Friday, sending it to President Joe Biden's desk.

The bill cleared the Senate floor on Thursday evening, by a vote of 65-33, one month after a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 students and two teachers dead.

The bill passed the House floor 234-193; with 14 Republicans voting along with all Democrats in favor.

While the bill does not tackle many of the proposals pushed by House Democrats and Biden – like raising the age to purchase a gun, banning assault weapons, and expanding universal background checks – it does establish a significant gun policy achievement between Republicans and Democrats that has not been seen in almost 30 years.

The bill still calls for expanded background checks, which includes juvenile and mental health records to be part of federal background checks for gun buyers aged 18 to 20.

It also closes the so-called "boyfriend loophole" in which convicted domestic violence offenders will now be denied guns if they have committed violent crimes against their spouses.

The measure would also strengthen "red flag" laws helping authorities get court orders to temporarily remove guns from people deemed dangerous.

"With this bipartisan package, we take the first steps to fight back on behalf of the American people who desperately want new measures to keep communities safe in the high numbers in the polling," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

"To those who lacked the courage to join in this work, I say your political survival is insignificant compared to the survival of our children," she added.

The bill now heads to Biden for his signature to make it law.