Senate votes 65 to 33 to pass bipartisan gun control package ending years of stalemate

The Senate on Thursday night passed gun control legislation, clearing the way for final congressional approval of what will be the most significant firearms legislation in decades.

The 65-33 vote came after a month of negotiations that eventually found a compromise on one of the country’s most contentious political issues.

Yet the nation’s divisions were on clear display on a day when the Supreme Court expanded gun rights by ruling Americans have a constitutional right to carry handguns in public for self-defense. 

The legislation provides about $15 billion in funding to help states implement red-flag laws to keep guns from high-risk owners and expand background checks.

The Democratic-led House is expected to take up the bill in quick succession, and President Joe Biden has made clear…