The proposed gun laws will increase the minimum age for semi-auto

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a package of measures by the Democratic Party to tighten gun laws. Whether the Senate will agree to it in the current setup is very doubtful.

The minimum age at which a person can buy a semi-automatic firearm is increased from 18 to 21. Bump stocks are also banned. These are tools that allow semi-automatic weapons to be used as fully automatic weapons.

The deputies had to speak out on each measure separately. That way, the Democrats could pinpoint exactly which Republican parliamentarians supported which measures or not. In the end, the whole package was adopted by 223 votes to 204. Among the voters were two Democrats. Five Republicans backed the tougher measures.

The package has passed through the House of Representatives, but now the Senate must also speak out on it. It is expected that the Democrats will not succeed in finding sufficient support there. Senators from both parties are currently negotiating proposals that go much less far, but can therefore count on more support.

A few hours before the vote, a survivor and some relatives of the shooting at a primary school in Uvalde had told in the House about what they experienced. During emotional pleas, they called for stricter gun laws. In that shooting last month, nineteen students and two teachers were shot dead. The eighteen-year-old gunman had legally bought his guns shortly after his birthday.

On Thursday, the House of Representatives will also vote on a law that expands the possibilities of denying people who may be a danger to themselves or their environment a gun license.