Jules Witcover, syndicated columnist

WASHINGTON — President Biden’s willingness to compromise on steps to combat soaring domestic gun violence is already facing strong resistance from pro-gun advocates, as a confession of political weakness.

Biden’s plea for modest reforms includes raising eligibility to buy and own assault weapons from age 18 to 21, as well as stricter background checkers on buyers’ mental stability. But it risks being taken by critics as a softening of his resolve to counter the soaring era of such lethal madness.

At the outbreak of the current round of mass shootings, the president entered the debate as a veteran advocate of such reform. In 2012, as President Barack Obama’s vice president, Biden led the official administration review of the Sandy Hook Elementary School slaughter in Newtown, Connecticut. In his 36 years in the Senate, he was a leader in the enactment of a ban on the sale of military style massive assault weapons.

But the ban expired in 2004 under stiff opposition from the pro-gun lobby. Now, Biden has been obliged to take it into consideration again, as heightened gun violence at home has remained a key issue of public concern.

The Republican Party has wasted no time in accusing Biden of retreat, to obtain a momentary advantage in some minimal progress against the carnage that killed 19 young public-school students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. Also being considered now are so-called red-flag laws in certain states seeking to keep guns out of the hands of individuals judged to be a threat to themselves or others.

One strong advocate, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, acknowledged in an interview: “It’s really tough sledding. I’ve never been part of conversations that are this serious and this thoughtful before, and I know all the Republicans and Democrats who are at the table are there with total sincerity to get an agreement.”

Yet a degree of uncertainty seemed to remain. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer indicated he had limited patience, and Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas insisted: “I think we need to act and we need to act relatively quickly. We could lose this opportunity to do what we could do to save lives, which to me is what this is all about.”

Nevertheless, politics being what it is, public opinion will no doubt be in the minds of Republicans and Democrats alike in deciding to give Joe Biden most of what he wants in dealing with the gun violence, or even the half a loaf he has indicated he would settle for.

One public opinion poll, by CBS News and YouGov taken after the Buffalo shootings but before that at Uvalde, found 54 percent of those surveyed supported tighter gun control laws, to only 16 percent for less stringent restraints.

So while most voters may prefer the tougher restrictions on guns of violence, Biden’s chosen road of working for what he can reasonably achieve seems unlikely to have much affect on what voters feel about him in this trying time at home.

Editor’s note: Jules Witcover’s latest book is “The American Vice Presidency: From Irrelevance to Power,” published by Smithsonian Books. You can respond to this column at juleswitcover@comcast.net.