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Transcript/ScriptUSAGM SHARE
((PLAYBOOK SLUG: YE: US Gun Violence ))
HEADLINE: Bipartisan Compromises to Reduce Gun Violence in US Still Elusive
TEASER: Deadlock expected to continue in 2024
PUBLISHED AT: Thursday, 12/14/2023 at 9:30am
BYLINE: Veronica Balderas Iglesias
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE:
VIDEOGRAPHER:
VIDEO EDITOR: Veronica Balderas Iglesias
SCRIPT EDITORS: Aru Pande, Reifenrath, DJ (ok)
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Agencies, Skype, see script for others
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 3:06
VID APPROVED BY: MAS
TYPE: TVR PKG
EDITOR NOTES: for production/release on Thurs. 12/14 // Vero will email a change to graf 1 of her script if she can get a breakdown of how many shootings in schools/universities // radio tracks for reversioning included))
((INTRO))
[[As mass shootings continue to claim lives in the United States, the Biden administration has announced more support to help states reduce gun violence. But bipartisan compromise in Congress is still elusive. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias looks at the reasons behind the divide.]]
((NARRATOR))
As of December 13, more than 635 mass shootings were recorded this year in the United States by the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive, including
((Mandatory cg: Cesar Marquez))
seven in schools and universities, but this figure represents only about 6% of all gun violence incidents.
[[RADIO INTRO: …explains Mark Bryant, the archive's Executive Director]]
((Mark Bryant, Gun Violence Archive)) ((Skype))
“We have, you know, 15 [thousand] to 17,000 shootings that occur a year. // For some types of mass shootings, you know, the AR-15 and assault-type rifles are the primary tool, but we also know that quite a lot of them are 9mm Glocks.”
((NARRATOR))
In early December, Democratic senators tried to revive an assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.
[[RADIO INTRO: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer put forward the motion.]]
((Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority Leader))
“Unsurprisingly when that ban lapsed, there was a sudden and dramatic spike in mass shootings and deaths from those shootings. We must change that.”
((NARRATOR))
Republican Senator John Barrasso laid out his reasons for blocking the proposal.
((Sen. John Barrasso, Republican))
“Almost every single page of the bill that’s in front of us today adds new restrictions and new burdens on people who follow the law. // The focus should be on mental health, on school safety and stricter enforcement of current laws.”
((NARRATOR))
Democrats and Republicans did come together to endorse the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022. It’s the first federal gun safety law passed in nearly 30 years.
But so far, its impact has received mixed reviews from both gun control and gun rights advocates.
[[RADIO INTRO: Nick Wilson is with the Center for American Progress.]]
((Nick Wilson, Center for American Progress)) ((Skype))
“They closed some loopholes, making it harder for people who shouldn’t have guns to get them. // That said, it doesn’t go far enough, and we need Congress to come back to the table and pass universal background checks, to ban assault weapons, to require all gun owners to store their guns safely so they’re not stolen or trafficked illegally.”
[[RADIO INTRO: Amy Swearer is a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation]]
((Amy Swearer, The Heritage Foundation)) ((Skype))
“Creating the school safety clearinghouse and solidifying that at the federal level —that’s very good. // They’re not really targeting the ways in which violent criminals get their guns; they’re simply slowing and delaying the process for people who were never at the highest risk for committing these types of offenses.”
((NARRATOR))
This month, Vice President Kamala Harris launched an initiative to provide states with additional support to reduce gun violence.
But going into 2024, some analysts say, the odds of the parties reaching new compromises at the federal level are low.
[[RADIO INTRO: Center for American Progress’s Nick Wilson.]]
((Nick Wilson, Center for American Progress)) ((Skype))
“It requires a lot of Republicans and Democrats to come together, and so in an election year, in our very politically divided time right now, that seems to be unlikely.”
[[RADIO INTRO: Amy Swearer with the Heritage Foundation.]]
((Amy Swearer, The Heritage Foundation)) ((Skype))
“It's a deadlock because we are talking about two very different frameworks for understanding what the problem is and how it ought to be addressed.”
((NARRATOR))
Mark Bryant of the Gun Violence Archive suggests that switching the focus to education, mental health resources and safe storage of weapons, could help move the conversation forward.
((Veronica Balderas Iglesias, VOA News, Washington))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateDecember 14, 2023 09:56 EST
BylineVeronica Balderas Iglesias
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English, US Agency for Global Media
