Actor Matthew McConaughey on Sunday applauded a legislative agreement on gun violence reached by a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers earlier in the day, stating in an Instagram story that he was happy "something" was being done to address mass shootings, after years of congressional stalemate.
Recalling a conversation he said he'd had with an unnamed senator the week prior, during a visit to Capitol Hill to discuss gun safety measures in the wake of another mass shooting -- this time in Uvalde, Texas, McConaughey's hometown -- he said he was told "the best change" the lawmaker could imagine in regards to gun violence was "something."
"I laughed," he wrote. "[The senator] didn't."
"For the first time in 30 years, 'something' has happened," McConaughey continued. "'Something' has been done in the effort to stop some of the deranged individuals that, with every horrific act, abuse and hijack the [S]econd [A]mendment. 'Something' has moved that we hope can deliver on our shared effort to make the loss of so many lives matter."
The Oscar winner was referencing a tentative anti-gun violence legislative framework reached by a bipartisan group of senators Sunday afternoon. The proposal, which had been in the works for weeks, as ABC News reported, would provide funding for mental health services and increased school safety measures; would incentivize states to enact "red flag" laws, which allow law enforcement to temporarily confiscate firearms from those who present a danger to others or themselves; and would strengthen the federal background check system as it pertains to those with domestic violence convictions and restraining orders.
The legislative agreement comes days after McConaughey held meetings with politicians on Capitol Hill to lobby for increased gun safety measures in the wake of the Uvalde shooting, and less than a week after the actor spoke from the White House briefing room to push for legislative action.
During that speech, McConaughey encouraged "both sides" of the aisle to "see beyond the political problem at hand and admit that we have a life preservation problem on our hands."
In his Instagram story on Sunday, McConaughey thanked the bipartisan group for working together on the framework, which he said could "save lives."
"[My wife] Camila and I would like to specifically thank the Republican Senators who worked with their Democrat colleagues on this issue and the Democrats who allowed the Republicans the space to do so," he wrote. "I hope we see the same in the House."
Congressional Republicans have for years pushed back on any efforts to implement stricter gun control measures, arguing that doing so infringes on their Second Amendment right to bear arms. Democrats, meanwhile, have argued that more safety measures are necessary to prevent further bloodshed.
McConaughey said Sunday that while the recent bipartisan framework isn't a "solution" to the problem of gun-related deaths in the U.S., it "does support more responsible gun ownership."
"There is still a lot of hard work for both parties, so let's continue to encourage everyone at the table to act in good faith and give them our support to get this job done," he wrote, signing the post, "just keep livin, McConaughey."
Read more about McConaughey's trip to Washington here.
