McConnell says he'll support a gun reform bill if it matches the proposed framework

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, seen here speaking during a news conference after a Senate Republican lunch meeting on June 7, 2022, said he will support a gun bill in the Senate if it sticks to the proposed framework announced over the weekend. / Getty Images

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will support passing a bill that would reform gun laws if the text matches the framework proposed earlier this week.

"I am comfortable with the framework and if the legislation ends up reflecting what the framework indicates, I will be supportive," McConnell told reporters Tuesday.

A bipartisan group of senators led by Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, unveiled their proposal over the weekend, which would include incentives for states to pass red-flag laws, funding for school safety and mental health resources, expanded background checks and more.

With the support of 10 Republicans, the measure could overcome the 60 votes needed to avoid a filibuster.

But the framework still needs to be written out into a bill, a process that could slow the process or even stall the effort altogether. Schumer told reporters that the hope is to pass the bill before the next recess, which would begin June 27. A draft version of the text is expected to be released on Sunday.

"I think if this framework becomes the actual piece of legislation, it's a step forward on a bipartisan basis and further demonstrates to the American people that we can come together, which we have done from time to time on things like infrastructure and postal reform, to make progress for the country," McConnell said.

Despite the longstanding ideological divides over gun laws, recent mass shootings at a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, have created a sense of urgency on both sides of the aisle to reach a deal.

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