But on this summer’s most significant piece of federal legislation – the first gun control measure to clear Congress in nearly 30 years – McConnell is seen as a moderate, at least among Republicans in Kentucky.
The lone Republican in the commonwealth’s delegation to vote for the Safer Communities Act, McConnell joined a majority of Democrats to support $750 million for states to implement “extreme risk protection order” laws, more commonly known as red flag laws. They are designed to allow authorities to intervene and temporarily seize a firearm from someone deemed dangerous – before they might act.
But it’s the provision that most Republicans drew a hard red line against.
