Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said the proposal President Donald Trump suggested earlier this week to raise the minimum age to purchase a gun wouldn't "save lives."
Instead, the number two Republican in the Senate said lawmakers should place the focus on new proposed firearms legislation that had a chance of becoming law, The Hill reported Saturday.
"I think what we want to focus on is things that will actually save lives," Cornyn said Friday. "That's why I think the focus should be on the Fix NICS bill, which is the only bipartisan piece of legislation that can be signed into law."
Earlier this week Trump tweeted he supported raising the age to 21 to purchase a firearm. In addition, he suggested comprehensive background checks with a focus on mental health and ending the sale of bump stocks.
"I'm not sure why we would go to those lengths when I don't think that gets to the root of the problem," Cornyn said about Trump's proposal.
Cornyn has co-authored a bill with Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., that would strengthen the National Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The bipartisan legislation would require states to put in place a plan to report offenses that bar people from being able to purchase a firearm.
The bill, which is endorsed by the NRA, would also require federal agencies to report NICS violations and would give states new financial incentives for doing so. Earlier this week, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump backed the plan.
The debate over gun reform has once again gained national attention after the Valentine's Day mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people died. Trump has also floated the idea of arming teachers and school officials as a way to prevent future school shootings.
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