The House of Representatives passed extensive gun control measures by a vote of 223-204 on Wednesday, primarily along party lines.
The bill will now be considered in the Senate, where it will be put to a more rigorous test. Anything that passes will almost certainly be pared down to gain political support from divided legislators.
The vote came at the end of a day that included testimony from parents and children who had witnessed mass shootings before a House committee. One of the presenters was an 11-year-old girl from Uvalde, Texas, who managed to survive the recent school massacre by smearing herself with blood and pretending to be dead.
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The bill in the House proposes raising the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21 years old. The so-called “Protecting Our Kids Act” would also outlaw large-capacity ammunition feeding devices while toughening gun trafficking and “straw purchases” penalties. Gun storage in houses is also covered.
Maine’s Jared Golden and Oregon’s Kurt Schrader, both Democrats, voted against the bill. Chris Jacobs of New York, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Fred Upton of Michigan, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois were among the five Republicans who voted in favor of the bill.
