Senate Democrats Eyeing Reconciliation For Gun Control Bills

With the U.S. Senate split 50-50, the chances of gun control legislation passing through the normal legislative process are slim at best. Unfortunately, there are a couple of legislative tricks that anti-gun Senators could use to get around the fact that 60 senators are needed to close off debate and approve bills.

In a newly released interview conducted by the Las Vegas Sun in January of 2020, then-candidate Joe Biden said he planned on using “must pass” legislation as a vehicle for his gun ban; attaching it as an amendment to a budget authorization bill, for instance.

Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, on the other hand, tells the Michael Bloomberg-funded anti-gun news outlet The Trace that he believes another parliamentary procedure could help shepherd gun control legislation through the Senate.

Senate Democrats could advance gun reform legislation via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the Senate to pass tax and spending bills with a simple majority vote. Blumenthal says Ethan’s Law has a good chance of passing that way.