A spate of mass shootings has led to a spike in efforts by congressional Democrats to enact new gun control legislation.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) joined 12 colleagues on Wednesday in proposing legislation to tighten background checks for gun purchasers. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) attended a separate press conference earlier this month as Senate Democrats offered several gun safety proposals. At the same time, three U.S. House members from New Jersey were among those asking the White House to use its own authority to limit criminals' access to firearms.

The Democratic efforts followed a series of mass shootings. In recent months, nine people were killed at an Oregon community college in October; five at two military locations in Chattanooga, Tenn. in July; and nine at a church in South Carolina in June.

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