On the heels of bipartisan gun legislation passing a procedural vote in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, Pennsylvania’s Pat Toomey told reporters on an afternoon conference call he expects the bill to pass the full Senate very soon.

“I believe it will pass. I believe it will be signed into law,” said Toomey, a second-term Republican senator who supports the bill reforming the nation’s gun laws. He said the legislation should pass by Friday.

The legislation would toughen background checks for the youngest firearms buyers, require more sellers to conduct background checks and beef up penalties on gun traffickers. It also would disburse money to states and communities aimed at improving school safety and mental health initiatives.

“It’s not the same thing as Manchin-Toomey but there’s a lot of common sense and there’s a sensible approach. I think It will make our communities somewhat safer and strengthen background checks, particularly for young adults,” said Toomey referring to legislation he worked on with West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat, nine years ago.

It would have required background checks on all gun sales between private parties with few exceptions - current law mandates checks on purchases from federally licensed gun dealers only - but it did not have the votes to become law.

“For us it was about requiring a background check for all commercial sales,” Toomey said. “This legislation does not do that. But it strengthens the background check system by encouraging states to incorporate criminal history adjudication and mental health adjudication for juveniles between the ages of 16 and 18.”

Toomey emphasized on Thursday’s call that the legislation “will protect the Second Amendment rights of law abiding Americans. A background check does not infringe on Second Amendment rights.”

Nevertheless, the National Rifle Association quickly stated its opposition.

“I don’t know what the NRA is objecting to,” said Toomey. “But I think the result will still be the same. It will pass with a big bipartisan vote.”

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said Thursday on the Senate floor that he would like to see the bill get through quickly.

“This is not a cure-all for all the ways gun violence affects our nation,” said Schumer. “But it is a long overdue step in the right direction. It’s going to save lives.”

Toomey also said he supports the Supreme Court’s ruling that puts an end to a New York State law placing restrictions on carrying a concealed hand gun outside the home.

“The Second Amendment is very clear. It gives you a constitutional right to bear arms,” he said. “To bear means to carry and if a state chooses to systematically deny people the right to carry arms, except under extraordinary circumstances, to me that state is clearly infringing on the Second Amendment.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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