This comes after the United States broke the record for the most mass shootings in a single year over the weekend.

The request for unanimous consent to pass the assault weapons ban, made by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, was met with objection from Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming. Despite Democratic senators highlighting the harrowing statistics of gun violence in America, Barrasso argued that the proposed bill would infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners.

The assault weapons ban, originally sponsored by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, aimed to prohibit semiautomatic rifles with features such as pistol grips, forward grips, folding or telescoping stocks, as well as rifles with grenade launchers, barrel shrouds, or threaded barrels. Barrasso claimed that Democrats wanted to ban these firearms based on their appearance rather than their functionality.

Emphasizing the importance of the Second Amendment, Barrasso stated that Americans have a constitutional right to own firearms and that the proposed legislation would deprive them of this liberty. He argued that popular rifles like the AR-15 work in the same way as shotguns and other rifles used for hunting and personal protection.

Following the blocked assault weapons ban, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy asked for unanimous consent to pass legislation requiring universal background checks for firearms purchases. Murphy stressed that the issue was not about an increase in mental illness or a lack of law enforcement, but rather the accessibility of guns to dangerous individuals.

A Gallup poll conducted in June 2022 revealed that 92 percent of Americans support the idea of background checks for all firearm sales. Murphy voiced his frustration by questioning how democracy can survive when there is overwhelming support from both Republicans and Democrats, yet the desired legislation cannot be passed.

However, Republican Sen. Mike Lee immediately objected to the proposal, emphasizing that voting should be based on legislation rather than polling results. Lee argued that the legislation to expand background checks had significant flaws, impacting situations such as the passing down of hunting rifles from fathers to sons or lending shotguns for protection purposes. He echoed Barrasso's sentiments that this legislation would infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens.

The Senate remains deeply divided on gun control measures, with the Republicans' objections preventing the assault weapons ban and universal background checks legislation from moving forward. As the nation grapples with the ongoing issue of gun violence, finding common ground on these issues seems increasingly elusive.