Texas' senior United States Senator, John Cornyn, told media today that he now has enough votes to pass a bill aimed at reforming the background check system for purchasing a firearm.
According to the Texas Tribune, Cornyn told reporters on Friday that he now has 62 cosponsors on the bill, meaning that the bill would pass if no filibuster is held. Cornyn is promoting the bill with Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy. The duo originally introduced the bill after a 2017 shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. However, at the time of the bill's introduction, it lacked the votes needed to pass the U.S. Senate.
The bill, if passed, would hold federal agencies accountable for failing to document the criminal records of individuals in the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
While Cornyn is promoting the bill, it is currently unclear how Texas' junior U.S. Senator, Ted Cruz, plans to vote on the bill.
A date for the bill's vote has not yet been announced.
