Toomey, Casey Signal Room For Compromise On Some New Gun Laws
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- While House Republican leaders are showing little appetite for any new restrictions on guns, the Senate is working on a bipartisan agreement to bring several measures up for debate next week. In separate calls with reporters Wednesday, Pennsylvania's U.S. senators signaled room for compromise.
To Republican Pat Toomey, common ground looks like this.
"Enhance gun safety while still respecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens," he said.
His approach does not include raising to 21 the minimum age of purchase for semi-automatic rifles.
"It's not clear to me that that makes us much safer," Toomey said, "but it certainly does infringe on their rights."
But Toomey hopes the Senate will -- again -- consider his bill to expand background checks to Internet sales and gun shows. It's twice failed, including after the Sandy Hook massacre.
Democrat Bob Casey echoes his call for beefed-up background checks, and agrees that people on the no-fly list should be prevented from buying a gun.
"It's hard to believe that it's still the state of the law that terrorists can get guns," Casey said.
But Casey raises concerns about President Trump's budget proposal, which he says slashes millions of dollars from programs designed to address mental health issues and help prevent school violence.