House GOP leaders oppose bipartisan gun deal as Senate moves toward passage & More news

Gonzales represents Uvalde, Texas, where a recent mass shooting at an elementary school shocked the nation and led to public outcry.

“In the coming days I look forward to voting YES on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act,” Gonzales said.

GOP Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan also told CNN he’s a “yes” on the bill.

GOP Senate negotiator looks to grow Republican support

In a slide presentation Sen. John Cornyn presented to Senate Republicans at lunch on Wednesday, which was provided to CNN by a GOP source, the Texas Republican went through areas where the National Rifle Association got want it wanted — even though the pro-gun lobby is opposed to the deal.

The effort was part of a sales job to grow GOP support beyond the 14 Republicans who voted to open debate, but a majority of Senate Republicans are still expected to oppose the bill.

Still, the legislation marks the first major federal gun safety measure in a generation, a significant achievement in a highly polarized political environment where gun policy is among the most contentious issues.

The bill includes millions of dollars for mental health, school safety, crisis intervention programs and incentives for states to include juvenile records in the National Instant Criminal Background Check system.

In contrast to the decision by the top 3 House Republican leaders to oppose the bill, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he plans to support it.

McConnell praised the bipartisan gun violence legislation on Wednesday as a “package of commonsense and popular solutions to make these horrific incidents less likely” that will not “touch the rights of the overwhelming majority of American gun owners who are law-abiding citizens of sound mind.”

He said past attempts to pass legislation to curb mass shootings at schools and elsewhere stalled because Democrats tried to “roll back” people’s Second Amendment rights.

“This time is different. This time the Democrats came our way and agreed to advance some commonsense solutions without rolling back rights for law-abiding citizens. The result is a product I’m proud to support,” McConnell said on the Senate floor.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reiterated on Wednesday that he intends to “secure final passage” of the bipartisan gun safety legislation before the end of the week.

“It is my intention now to keep the process moving quickly and secure final passage before the week’s end,” Schumer said in floor remarks.

He pointed to the 64 senators who supported the bill’s advancement on Tuesday night, as “an unmistakable sign of the broad support and momentum behind this bill.

This story has been updated with additional developments Wednesday.