WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Pressure is growing for Congress to respond to the latest back-to-back mass shootings.
But without a clear path for new gun laws, many GOP Senators are pointing to other bills to try and stop the senseless killings.
Gun legislation has been a gridlock issue on Capitol Hill for nearly three decades, which is why many GOP lawmakers are pivoting to other safety solutions.
While rejecting new gun control bills, GOP Senators are offering their own solutions to prevent yet another mass shooting.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is advocating for a bill to better train teachers to spot a threatening student before they turn violent.
“Why shouldn’t we be helping teachers and school people and educators,” Grassley said. “Get them help, intervention.”
Grassley said unlike Democrats’ gun legislation, his plan has bipartisan support.
“We ought to be getting done what we can get done,” he said.
Many other Republicans agree.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., is pushing the Luke and Alex School Safety Act, named after two victims of the Parkland school shooting. It would launch a new federal school safety website to give schools direct access to security grants.
“It makes perfect sense, it’s a completely nonpartisan bill,” Johnson said.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wants Congress to increase the penalty for people who commit violent gun crimes.
“Send the message that if you commit these kinds of crimes and you do it with a firearm, you’re going to do serious time,” Hawley said.
Democrats and the White House are pushing to expand background checks and to ban assault-style weapons like the two used by the shooter in Texas.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he’s hoping both sides can find common ground to act.
“This is not an excuse to infringe the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Doing that will do nothing to fix tragedies like this,” Cornyn said. “Access to mental health treatment is high on that list.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., say they’re trying to nail down a bipartisan plan.
Either way, Schumer says to expect a vote on something once lawmakers return from their Memorial break.
