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US Senators Roll Out Bill to Hold Government Liable for Gun Background Checks

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The debate on gun control in the US has further intensified in the wake of recent deadly shootings in Las Vegas and Texas.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Senator John Cornyn has announnced that a bipartisan group of US lawmakers had introduced a bill to expand oversight of federal agencies responsible for checking criminal background history for firearms purchases.

"The bill penalizes federal agencies who fail to properly report relevant records and incentivizes states to improve their overall reporting," according to the Cornyn's office press release.

According to Cornyn, federal agencies have been failing to transmit data about domestic abusers and persons who committed criminal offenses into the system.

Fixing reporting gaps, he added, is "a commonsense solution" for the gun control problem in the United States. However, the Republican senator added there is much more that should be done with respect to background checks for gun buyers.

The move comes a week after twenty-three Democrats in the US Senate have introduced legislation to ban the sale of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

READ MORE: What's Next for US Gun Control After Carnage at a Texas Church?

Recent Deadly Shootings in US

Buildings on the western side of the 600 block of High Street (U.S. Route 23) in downtown Worthington, Ohio, US - Sputnik International
Two People Killed as Result of Shooting in Town of Worthington, Ohio - Reports
The debate on gun control in the US has further intensified after a number of deadly mass shootings in the past months, including the recent church massacre in Sutherland Springs, Texas, that had claimed the lives of 26 people and injured 20 others. Following the shooting, Secretary of Defense James Mattis directed the Pentagon to investigate why the US Air Force did not report to the FBI information regarding Texas gunman Devin Kelley who had received a bad conduct discharge in the past.

READ MORE: US Senate Panel to Hold Hearing on Weapons Regulations in Wake of Texas Shooting

The Texas shooting took place just over a month after the Las Vegas massacre — the deadliest shooting in the US history — and was followed by several other similar incidents, including at a school in California that had occurred earlier this week and left four people dead.

Most firearms restrictions have been opposed by the National Rifle Association lobby, which is concerned that these measures would be a step toward outlawing all private gun ownership, with pro-gun groups often citing the Second Amendment to the US Constitution which guarantees the right of Americans to keep and bear arms.

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