Democrats are pushing to get a bill on the Senate floor ahead of the Independence Day recess next week, but there are serious doubts about whether or not that’s going to happen as negotiators have hit a stumbling block; a portion of the package that would expand the definition of a domestic violence misdemeanor to include “dating partners.”
Federal law bars those convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor from legally purchasing or possessing a firearm, but the current federal definition encompasses spouses and family members. Democrats want to broaden that definition to include “dating partners” as well, but both Democrats and Republicans involved in the negotiations say the issue is more complicated than it may appear.