WASHINGTON (AP) – Frustrated Democrats are lambasting Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell as they mark a year of Senate inaction since the House passed landmark gun control legislation.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Democrats will “accelerate the drumbeat” on calls for McConnell to allow a Senate vote on a House-passed bill to expand background checks for gun purchases.

Speaking a day after a mass shooting in Milwaukee, Pelosi and other Democrats said the GOP leader was giving new meaning to his self-described nickname as the “grim reaper” of Democratic legislation.

They say thousands of people will die because of the Senate’s failure to act.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.  PHOTO AP