By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters] – On Monday, Senator John Cornyn, a leading Republican, urged top Senate Democrat to allow negotiators enough time to reach a compromise or to fail.

Cornyn was due to meet with Democrats and Republicans on Monday. The goal is to achieve a deal on gun legislation by Friday, following a spate of shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas, as well as Tulsa and Oklahoma.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Mitch McConnell (republican counterpart) have approved the negotiations. Republicans worry that Schumer may soon fulfill his promise to vote on Democratic gun legislation, if negotiations fail.

Cornyn made the following statement in a floor address: “I hope that the Democratic leader will permit bipartisan discussions to continue. Then he can conclude before schedules show votes on an item he knows cannot pass.”

The Texas Republican said that good consensus legislation requires time. The only way to pass a bill through both the chambers, and get the president’s approval is to take time and reach that consensus.

Schumer’s Office did not respond immediately to our request for comment.

These negotiations raised the possibility of rare bipartisan agreements on gun-related matters in Congress. Congress is typically paralyzed on this issue by partisan rancor.

The 100-seat Senate is split 50-50. To pass gun legislation, 10 Republican votes would be required to reach the chamber’s minimum 60-vote threshold.

Republicans as a party, however, strongly defend the U.S. constitutional rights to bear arms according the Second Amendment. Therefore, they have rejected bans on assault weapons as well as high-capacity magazines that were commonly used in U.S. mass killings.

The White House and Congress are unable to come to an agreement on a way to respond to this wave of shootings. However, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to decide on a New York case which could lead to a broadening of gun rights.

Senator Chris Murphy, the leading Democrat, said also that it will take time before substantial legislation is put in place.

“I can hear some skepticism regarding the size of this package. Murphy, a prominent advocate for gun control, said that he would not support any package that didn’t save people’s lives. I won’t support anything that checks one box.

Cornyn and Murphy said that talks are focusing on just a few issues. They include legislation to urge states to pass red flag laws depriving people with mental illness access to firearms, enhancing school security and keeping guns out of the hands of people who have been legally barred from owning them.

Expect the Democratic-led House of Representatives to vote next week on legislation that limits gun purchases. Cornyn said that the bill would not win the Republican support it needs to pass the Senate and called it “doomed” partisan legislation.