Democrats unleashed a torrent of rage and profanity after the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas left 19 small children and two adults dead. There are pieces of legislation that could pass Congress that they have not yet offered.
Mark Kelly of Arizona told reporters at the Capitol that it was pointless to do anything about it.
The Arizona Democrat let fly a bunch of f-bombs at conservatives who support greater access to guns.
Fuck you, the gun lobby.
—Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) May 24, 2022
He sent a message to one of the Texas Republican senators who oppose most gun safety measures. He called Cruz a baby killer.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said to Rep. Lauren Boebert, "Just quit and let someone who actually gives a damn do it instead."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer asked Senate Republicans to put themselves in the shoes of the parents of children who have been killed by guns.
Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat who was sworn in just weeks after a shooter killed 27 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary, asked what were we doing.
Murphy asked Congress a moral and practical question on Tuesday. They were going to be a legislative body to prevent killings like the ones in Uvalde.
In the hours after the Uvalde shooting, Democrats had yet to put forth a piece of viable legislation that could gain bipartisan consensus and pass Congress. The two Democratic senators who are in the way of the Senate striking down the filibuster did not change their minds.
When asked if she would change her position on the filibuster to allow Democrats to force through gun safety legislation, Sinema dodged the question.
Instead, she signaled a desire to work with Republicans to create an opportunity for us to actually have real conversations and try to do something.
Schumer blamed Republicans for standing in the way of legislation but did not propose a specific path forward or promise a vote. He urged Americans to vote for lawmakers who supported gun safety legislation.
He promised to vote on gun legislation later that day, according to Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News.
The House of Representatives is controlled by Democrats, who only need a simple majority to pass legislation. The chamber would consider the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, which was first introduced in 2019. It is not clear if it will get enough bipartisan support in the Senate.
—Steny Hoyer (@LeaderHoyer) May 25, 2022
Democrats have had difficulty passing gun safety legislation since Sandy Hook. The issue has become more pronounced since they took over Congress. According to the FBI, America experienced 61 active shooter incidents last year.
Democrats made a renewed attempt to pass gun safety legislation in March of 2021. The Bipartisan Background Checks Act was passed in the House but not in the Senate.
There was talk of reviving a bill that would have closed a loophole that allowed private sales of guns at gun shows or online to evade background checks. The proposal, known as Manchin-Toomey, failed in the months after Sandy Hook and hasn't gained much traction since.
On Wednesday, he told Capitol Hill reporters that he had no updates on the legislation.
Several proposals were introduced with bipartisan support in the year 2021. They included so-called red flag or extreme risk laws, which allow law enforcement or family members to request a judge temporarily prevent individuals who may harm themselves or others from owning or buying firearms.
It is not clear if Democrats will be able to cut a deal that will win over the 10 Republicans they need to clear any legislative blockades in the Senate.
Schumer said that his Republican colleagues could work with him.
Schumer acknowledged that the odds were against Republican cooperation.
I know it's a slim chance. Very thin. He said it was all too slim.
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