Democrats in the US House of Representatives plan to introduce a bill that would require a background check for every gun sale or transfer in the United States, media reported on Wednesday.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th December, 2018) Democrats in the US House of Representatives plan to introduce a bill that would require a background check for every gun sale or transfer in the United States, media reported on Wednesday.US Congressman Mike Thompson is planning to introduce the bill once Democrats take control of the House of Representatives in the upcoming session, Mother Jones reported on Wednesday.
Federal law only requires licensed firearm retailers such as gun stores and hunting shops to run a background check on potential buyers. Other venues to obtain guns via the internet or from private sellers at a gun show are excluded, the report said.
According to a 2017 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 22 percent of US gun owners obtained a firearm without a background check over the past two years.
Previous attempts to strengthen background checks have stalled in Congress in part due to fierce opposition from the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Thompson expects the background check bill to also receive some Republican support, the report said. The precise details of the legislation have not been finalized.
The Second Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees the right of Americans to keep and bear arms.
