What is Capitol Hill Doing About Mass Shootings

The Associated Press has a list of recent high-profile shootings in the U.S. as of 2023. A list. It is April of 2023, and we already have a list of shootings.

In America, gun violence is rising, and it is prevalent in pretty much every state. The most recent headline concerning gun violence comes from Louisville, Kentucky, where, on April 10, a gunman opened fire in a bank, killing five people and injuring eight others.

Preceding the shooting in Louisville were shootings in:

• Nashville, Tennessee with six dead
• Half Moon Bay, California with seven dead
• Monterey Park, California with 11 dead
• Chesapeake, Virginia with six dead
• Colorado Springs, Colorado with five dead
• Raleigh, North Carolina with five dead
• Uvalde, Texas with 21 dead

And those are just to name a few. There’s been many more.

At this point, acts of gun violence are not breaking news, but legislation against gun violence is. Let’s find out who and what are fighting in America’s war against gun violence.

What is the White House Doing for Gun Control?

In the U.S. since the start of 2023, we are at 130 mass shootings. In terms of gun violence, it’s getting really hard to turn a left cheek to the problem. With that, some politicians are starting to take action.

As of right now, those on Capitol Hill are split on the issue of gun control in America. The Democratic party tends to lean on the side of more control and regulations, while the Republicans are more hesitant about changing existing laws. On the Congress level, little has been done in terms of gun control, but many states have taken this issue into their own hands.

In Michigan, following a deadly shooting at Michigan State University in February, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed the most significant gun control laws in Michigan in over 30 years. These laws extend background check requirements and put in place storage standards for guns kept in homes where children are present.

While states have been making moves toward a safer America, individual politicians who oppose their states’ current gun control laws are also standing up against gun violence.

Recently, two Representatives from the Tennessee State Legislature — Justin Jones (D) and Justin J. Pearson (D) — were ousted after they protested gun violence in response to the school shooting in Nashville. Since their protest on April 6, Jones was unanimously reappointed to the Tennessee Legislature.

Pearson is yet to be reappointed and is awaiting a meeting with commissioners.

Staying in Tennessee, we are starting to see politicians demand gun control measures. On April 11, Governor Bill Lee (R) urged the state to pass strict gun control measures. While his specifics have not yet been determined, its a good first step to figuring out what measures are needed.

While some politicians respond to these tragedies with action, others do the opposite. In early April, the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis (R), signed a bill for permitless carry in Florida.

President Joe Biden has said he’s done all he can do to urge those on Capital Hill to act. Biden said he thinks Americans don’t want assault weapons. So, it up to Congress to work work to ban assault weapons. Since taking office, Biden has taken over 20 executive actions regarding guns and gun control. This includes regulating “ghost guns” — unserialized and untraceable firearms — creating an expansion on background checks and giving funding for more “red flag laws,” a tool people can use to determine if someone purchasing a firearm is at high risk for committing a crime.

The future of gun control is not black and white. Discourse between opposing viewpoints, especially with members of the GOP and their involvement with the National Rifle Association (NRA), continues to leave the solution to America’s war against guns at a standstill.

Let us know your opinion about Congress’ actions against gun violence @VALLEYmag on Twitter.

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