Jimmy Higgins
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WASHINGTON DC -- A small bipartisan group of Senators announced that their efforts to help combat the plague of mass shootings the nation is suffering from by unveiling the Thoughts and Prayers Act of 2022.
The legislation is the first bipartisan effort to make it to a point of being passed in the Senate in decades. The bipartisan group hailed the effort of "old school" governance, where people with differing views were able to come together and put forth a "really solid effort" in proposing legislation that will address an epidemic of mass shootings that have taken the lives of hundreds of school students as well as adults.
When asked what the bill would do to change things, the Senators indicated that the most important change would be the "spirit of the role of Government" in these disasters. There would no longer be a need for the President to announce flags would be half mast, as that would now be codified for automatic half masting of flags for a period of two days.
The half mast flag provision was heralded as being truly bipartisan as Democrats wanted a longer period of remembrance while Republicans were looking for a near immediate moving on from the tragedy... "for the country's sake".
The other main change invoked what they called the "Thoughts and Prayers" proclamation. They noted that the proclamation indicated that any and all mass shootings that resulted in the deaths of 6 or more people, would automatically be provided the "thoughts and prayers" of those in Congress. Again, this agreement was noted as highly crafted bipartisanship, as the Democrats wanted to actually do something that would change things and the Republicans preferred the status quo.
Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rand Paul (R-KY) have already indicated their opposition to this "radical" change in Government gun policy. They indicated they would be providing an endless list of amendments to the bill as a filibuster would no longer be possible with at least 63 Senators supporting this legislation. Ginni Thomas also noted in an op-ed in the Washington Times that her husband would likely rule the legislation as unconstitutional if it got to the Supreme Court.
The legislation is expected to come to a vote next week, however, with legal maneuvering, Sen. Cruz expects he can bury the legislation in red tape until mid-fall.
The legislation is the first bipartisan effort to make it to a point of being passed in the Senate in decades. The bipartisan group hailed the effort of "old school" governance, where people with differing views were able to come together and put forth a "really solid effort" in proposing legislation that will address an epidemic of mass shootings that have taken the lives of hundreds of school students as well as adults.
When asked what the bill would do to change things, the Senators indicated that the most important change would be the "spirit of the role of Government" in these disasters. There would no longer be a need for the President to announce flags would be half mast, as that would now be codified for automatic half masting of flags for a period of two days.
The half mast flag provision was heralded as being truly bipartisan as Democrats wanted a longer period of remembrance while Republicans were looking for a near immediate moving on from the tragedy... "for the country's sake".
The other main change invoked what they called the "Thoughts and Prayers" proclamation. They noted that the proclamation indicated that any and all mass shootings that resulted in the deaths of 6 or more people, would automatically be provided the "thoughts and prayers" of those in Congress. Again, this agreement was noted as highly crafted bipartisanship, as the Democrats wanted to actually do something that would change things and the Republicans preferred the status quo.
Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rand Paul (R-KY) have already indicated their opposition to this "radical" change in Government gun policy. They indicated they would be providing an endless list of amendments to the bill as a filibuster would no longer be possible with at least 63 Senators supporting this legislation. Ginni Thomas also noted in an op-ed in the Washington Times that her husband would likely rule the legislation as unconstitutional if it got to the Supreme Court.
The legislation is expected to come to a vote next week, however, with legal maneuvering, Sen. Cruz expects he can bury the legislation in red tape until mid-fall.