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US Congress sends gun bill to White House

A sales associate arranges guns on display at Burbank Ammo & Guns in Burbank, California, June 23, 2022. (JAE C. HONG  / AP)

WASHINGTON – The US Congress sent a gun bill to the White House on Friday after the House of Representatives voted 234-193 to pass the legislation. 

The bill, approved by the Senate the day before, will enhance background checks for gun purchasers younger than 21, provide money to administer "red-flag" laws, and crack down on straw buyers.

The bill will enhance background checks for gun purchasers younger than 21, provide money to administer "red-flag" laws, and crack down on straw buyers

A spate of mass shootings over the past few weeks have rocked the United States and fueled public frustration with longtime political inaction over gun violence.

READ MORE: US Senate advances first significant gun bill in decades

A month ago, a gunman attacked an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two teachers in a rampage that has triggered nationwide demonstrations against gun violence.

At least 21,000 people have died from gun violence across the United States so far this year, according to the latest data from Gun Violence Archive.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, struck down New York state's limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home. The court found that the law, enacted in 1913, was unconstitutional. 

That ruling and the gun-safety legislation passed on Friday illustrate a deep divide over firearms in the United States.

The Supreme Court decision is "harmful and disturbing," Jack Resneck Jr, president of the American Medical Association, said in a statement.

ALSO READ: Tens of thousands rally against gun violence across US

"Firearm violence is a public health crisis, and easier access to weapons and fewer restrictions on who can carry them — and where they can be carried — are dangerous steps in the wrong direction. Overturning decades of reasonable firearm regulations will cost more lives," he said. 

Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association, the nation's most powerful gun lobby, declared the court's Thursday ruling "a monumental win" for American gun owners.