Joe Manchin Says Yes to Raising Age for Gun Purchases, No to AR-15s

Democratic swing vote Senator Joe Manchin says he's open to banning military-style rifles and increasing the purchase age for the high-powered firearms as highly watched negotiations over gun control continue in the chamber.

Manchin on Monday told CNN he's receptive to key provisions of gun control legislation President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats have called for in the aftermath of multiple recent mass shootings. The support of Manchin, who has previously bucked his party, means one less potential stumbling block to clearing the legislation in the evenly divided chamber.

The West Virginia Democrat told CNN in an interview he was open to raising the age restriction for semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21, saying it would at least give authorities a chance to evaluate the person seeking the weapon. The gunman in the recent elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 children and two teachers dead, legally purchased two AR-15-style rifles after turning 18.

Manchin, who is part of bipartisan negotiations on the legislation, additionally questioned the need for people to own AR-15-style rifles.

"I never thought I had a need for that type of a high-capacity automatic weapon," Manchin told CNN on Monday. "I like to shoot, I like to go out and hunt. I like to go out sports shooting. I do all of that. But I've never felt I needed something of that magnitude."

Passing gun control legislation has proved elusive in the Senate. After the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which left 20 children and six adult staff members dead, the chamber voted down a bipartisan bill brokered by Manchin expanding background checks.

President Joe Biden pleaded for Congress to pass gun control to address mass shootings during a prime time address last week, saying he had "been in this fight for a long time. I know how hard it is, but I'll never give up."

Senate Republicans have recently signaled a willingness to come to the table on gun control, last week tapping Texas Senator John Cornyn as the Republican lead in bipartisan negotiations on gun legislation.

However, the contours of the bill and its passage remain uncertain. Ten Republicans will need to join all 50 of the chamber's Democrats for any gun control bill to be considered, and the GOP has been resistant to reinstating a federal ban on military-style weapons.

A gun control bill could include a "red flag" provision, which would allow authorities to temporarily remove someone's firearms if they are determined to be a threat to themselves and others. Republicans have been receptive to a red flag law, variations of which have been adopted by the District of Columbia and almost 20 states, including Florida.

"We know that the red flag laws do work as long as due process," Manchin told CNN.

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy said Monday on NBC's Meet the Press NOW that he remained optimistic about the prospects of passing a gun control bill despite the uncertainty.

"There is a popular uprising in this country to do something and what we pass it will be mainstream," he said. "It will be bipartisan, and it will be popular."

Newsweek reached out to Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for comment.

Correction 06/07/22, 7:00 p.m. ET: This article was updated to reflect that Senator Chris Murphy made his comments Monday on NBC's Meet the Press NOW.