Prospects for a bipartisan deal to expand federal background checks for gun purchases are improving with the emergence of fresh Republican support, according to top Senate aides.
The possibility that after weeks of stalled negotiations senators might be on the cusp of a breakthrough came as President Barack Obama and his top surrogates were to begin on Monday their most aggressive push yet to rally Americans around his gun-control agenda.
Even though polls show that a universal background check system is supported by 9 in 10 Americans, the president has been unable to translate popular support for the measures into legislative momentum on Capitol Hill.