February 27, 2019·3:46 PM ET
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The House Wednesday passed the most significant gun control measure in more than two decades when it approved the first of two bills aimed at strengthening the federal background check system for firearms purchases. The bill will likely stop in the House, though — the Senate is unlikely to take up the measure and, even if it does, the president likely would not sign it.
The vote on the first bill dubbed the "Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019" passed largely along party lines 240 to 190 with Democrats who control the House cheering as they carried the legislation across the finish line.
A second bill lengthens the number of days a firearm dealer must wait for federal background checks to be completed. Currently the wait time is three business days. The bill, which is expected to be taken up Thursday, would extend it to 10 business days.
House Democrats hope the swift passage of the companion bills will put pressure on the Senate to act. The National Rifle Association opposes the bill and it faces major headwinds in the Republican-controlled Senate. In the unlikely event the Senate approves the measure, it would still face the strong possibility of a veto by President Trump.
http://www.npr.org/2019/02/27/698512397/house-passes-most-significant-gun-bill-in-2-decades
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