Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a key Republican in negotiating a bipartisan gun safety package passed last summer, addressed calls for additional gun laws Monday School shooting in Tennesseewho said Congress has “gone as far as we can go” on measures like background checks.
President Joe Biden pleaded that lawmakers will enact an assault weapons ban and more restrictions on firearms after the killing of three adults and three children at Nashville’s Covenant School, but Cornyn described his appeals as “tired talking points.”
“I’d say we went as far as we could go — unless someone identifies an area that we haven’t addressed.” Cornyntoldreporter when specifically asked about further legislation and background checks.
At a performance on Tuesday on “CNN This Morning”, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was “devastating” for parents who have lost their children and for Americans in general to hear lawmakers determine that the country’s options for gun safety measures had gone out.
“You lost your children yesterday, and do we say that?” asked Jean-Pierre. “We shouldn’t say there’s nothing else to do. We should try to find out what else we can do.”
Biden had appeals to lawmakers to make “further progress” in reducing gun violence.
“It’s tearing our communities apart, tearing at the soul of the nation,” he said Monday at the White House, adding, “We need to do more to protect our schools.”
Congress is unlikely to pass an assault weapons ban given that Republicans control the House of Representatives and some Democrats have also opposed such a measure.
“Only [to] Be clear, I’m not in favor of banning assault weapons,” Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) told HuffPost.
He added that “it would be great to do something on background checks.”
In June Biden signed the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which included modest restrictions on gun purchases, as well as funds to improve mental health care and school safety. The bill also provided expanded background checks for those under the age of 21 and banned abusive domestic partners from acquiring guns.
He also signed an executive order earlier this month In order to get more firearm sales, the seller must complete a background check.
At the time, Biden said the order would bring the country “as close as possible to universal background checks without new legislation.”
But Monday’s attack on Covenant School sparked calls for more action.
Tennessee police fatally shot the attacker, identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, on Monday. According to authorities, Hale was in possession of three weapons: a rifle, an assault pistol and a handgun.
At least two of those guns were obtained legally in Nashville, according to police.
Supposedly officials more firearms seized when they searched Hale’s house.
Igor Bobic contributed the reporting.
Related…
Source : news.yahoo.com