HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC Radio) - As the House Judiciary Committee prepares to review a gun control legislation package known as the Protecting Our Kids Act this Thursday, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal are reaching across the aisle to find common ground on gun safety laws.
Both senators are having ongoing talks with Senate Republicans to find an agreeable framework for gun legislation, they said while in Hartford Tuesday with various gun safety advocacy groups.
"We are hearing more interest in talking about real change--changes in our gun laws, more support for mental health services--than at any point since the shooting at Sandy Hook," Murphy said, "We have been in dialogue with our Republican colleagues exhaustively throughout the weekend trying to find some common ground."
One of those colleagues includes Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn.
In remarks on the Senate floor, Cornyn said he's looking forward to the informed debates about gun reform.
“I'm not interested in making a political statement. I'm not interested in the same old tired talking points. I'm actually interested in what we can do to make the terrible events that occurred in Uvalde less likely in the future," he said.
Blumenthal believes many Republicans were seriously shaken by the Uvalde, Texas shooting, he said, making him hopeful that change is possible.
About the Protecting Our Kids Act, Blumenthal said the policies are constitutional and fit within the parameters of the second amendment.
"We're not talking about taking guns away from law-abiding citizens or, in any way, imperiling rights under the second amendment. We are talking about measures that will save lives," Blumenthal said.
The package includes eight different gun safety measures, including raising the age for purchasing semiautomatic rifles to 21 years old and making it illegal to sell, manufacture, or possess a large-capacity magazine with some exceptions.
Details about current negotiations can't be shared at the moment, Murphy said, but the hope is to settle on an agreement by next week, when the House is expected to vote on the package before it heads to the Senate.
If a compromise on gun safety laws can't be reached now, Murphy said then it's up to the voters to change who is in Congress.
"When 90% of the people want something and they're not getting it, there is a simple way to solve for that which is to stop sending back to Congress the people who are standing in the way," he said. "Right now, my hope is that we can find that compromise."