Five Pennsylvania House Republicans crossed party lines Tuesday to support a Democrat-backed universal background check bill, which passed by a narrow 104–99 vote. The measure requires background checks for all gun sales, including private transactions.
The five Republicans who supported the legislation were Reps. Joe Hogan (District 142), Kristin Marcell (District 178), Kathleen Tomlinson (District 18), Martina White (District 170), and Craig Williams (District 160).
While the universal background check bill cleared the House, three other gun control proposals failed. Gun control advocacy group CeaseFirePA expressed frustration over the outcome. The group’s director, Adam Garbar, said, “The failure of other common sense safety measures on the House floor fails all of us,” and criticized legislators who opposed further restrictions in the wake of recent mass shootings.
Despite passing the Democrat-led House, the background check legislation is expected to face strong opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate. Gun rights advocates argue that such laws do little to prevent crime and instead burden law-abiding citizens.
Nationally, evidence suggests these laws have limited effect. California has had universal background checks in place for decades, yet it led the nation in active shooter incidents in both 2021 and 2023. Critics point to this data to argue that universal background checks are not an effective deterrent and that more restrictions on legal gun owners will not prevent violence.
The House vote signals growing division among Pennsylvania Republicans on Second Amendment issues. With slim margins in the legislature, a few Republican defections can tip key votes. Still, Senate opposition is likely to block the measure unless significant changes are made.
