My goal from the start has been to have a constitutional system that can intervene in time to stop unstable, mentally ill people from obtaining firearms and killing innocent people.

John, As a long-time gun owner and strong supporter of the Second Amendment, I have been horrified by the recent spate of mass shootings and the link between mental health and gun violence. I was part of the bipartisan group of Senators working on solutions to address these issues. My goal in working with this group has been to meaningfully address these problems while protecting the Second Amendment constitutional right to keep and bear arms. I believe the legislation which passed the Senate last night has a very good chance of saving lives while protecting the rights of responsible gun owners. Unless you're adjudicated mentally ill or a convicted violent criminal, your Second Amendment rights won't be affected. This legislation is much different than President Biden's laundry list of gun control proposals which passed the House of Representatives earlier this month. The House-passed bill has no chance. I continue to oppose the House-passed bill and will vote against it should it come up for a vote in the United States Senate. Wednesday's editorial in The Wall Street Journal highlighted the bipartisan Safer Communities Act: "The Senate deal is a long way from the gun-control package that Speaker Nancy Pelosi rushed through the House two weeks ago. That bill is a nonstarter in the Senate, with some Democrats and nearly all Republicans opposed. GOP negotiators led by Texas Sen. John Cornyn also blocked several Democratic Senate demands, including a ban on the purchase of so-called assault weapons for anyone under age 21, licensing requirements, and mandatory waiting periods for all buyers." "The gun lobby and those who want to ban guns aren't happy, but the bill preserves gun rights while trying to keep guns away from the dangerous. That's a step forward." "One useful provision in the bill would correct a hole in background-check screening for those under 21. The current system doesn't access juvenile records, though those records often contain mental-health or criminal histories that would bar an adult from obtaining a firearm. Mental-health problems often appear before age 18, and mass shooters with disturbing records have bought guns legally." This legislation will not magically solve all our problems when it comes to gun violence. Deranged individuals who are intent on killing and maiming others will find ways to accomplish their hateful objective. However, I do think there is a greater likelihood this legislation will help us avert a mass killing while still protecting the constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. My goal from the start was to have a constitutional system that can intervene in time to stop unstable, mentally ill from obtaining firearms and killing innocent people. The legislation is not perfect, but we must not let the perfect become the enemy of the good. That is why I supported it in the Senate and hope it will soon become law. Thank you, Lindsey Graham United States Senator Paid For By Team Graham, Inc.