Trump calls for ‘strong background checks’ after massacres, suggests pairing gun legislation with immigration reform - The Washington Post

President Trump called Monday for “strong background checks” in the wake of the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, and suggested pairing gun legislation with immigration reform, a top priority of his that he has failed to move through Congress.

“We cannot let those killed in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, die in vain,” Trump said in early-morning tweets, referring to the massacres that left 29 people dead.

“Likewise for those so seriously wounded,” he said. “We can never forget them, and those many who came before them. Republicans and Democrats must come together and get strong background checks, perhaps marrying this legislation with desperately needed immigration reform. We must have something good, if not GREAT, come out of these two tragic events!”

Trump’s tweets came three hours ahead of planned remarks at the White House on the shootings.

It remained unclear how explicit Trump would be in his call for stronger background checks and how heavily he would lean on congressional Republicans to take action.

In late February, the Democratic-led House approved the first major new firearm restrictions to advance in a generation. The proposed legislation would amend federal gun laws to require background checks for all gun sales and most gun transfers.

Federally licensed dealers are required to run background checks on people who buy guns, but private sellers who are not federally licensed are not. Under the bill, private parties would have to seek out a federal licensee to facilitate a gun deal.

The next day, the chamber passed a separate bill that would extend the time for the government to complete a background check on someone trying to buy a gun from a licensed dealer before the sale can go through.

Neither measure, each of which passed with mostly Democratic votes, has advanced in the Senate.

In the wake of the latest mass shootings, Democrats have urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to call senators back to Washington from recess to take action.

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