Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), one of the key Republicans to negotiate the bipartisan gun safety package passed last summer, there is a call for additional gun laws in the wake of the school shooting in Tennessee, saying that Congress has “been about. until can be done “in steps like background checks.
President Joe Biden called on lawmakers to ban assault-style weapons and impose more restrictions on firearms after three adults and three children were killed at Covenant School in Nashville, but Cornyn described the appeal as “bullshit.”
“I’d say we’ve hit the ground running – unless someone notices some areas we haven’t covered,” Cornyn toward journalist when asked about specific laws and background checks.
During Tuesday’s appearance on “CNN This Morning,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was “devastating” for parents who lost their children, and America in general, to hear lawmakers say the country has no choice in gun safety measures.
“They lost their children yesterday, and what did we say?” Jean-Pierre asked. “We should not say that there is nothing to do. We should try to find out what else we can do.
Biden already appeal for lawmakers to “make some more progress” in reducing gun violence.
“It’s tearing apart our community, it’s tearing apart the soul of the nation,” he said Monday at the White House, adding “we must do more to protect our schools.”
Congress is unlikely to ban assault-style weapons, as Republicans control the House of Representatives and some Democrats have also expressed opposition to the measure.
“Only [to] to be clear, I am not for banning assault weapons,” Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) told HuffPost.
He added that “it would be good to do something about background checks.”
In June, Biden signed the Bipartisan Safe Communities Act, which includes modest curbs on gun purchases, as well as funding to improve mental health care and school safety. The bill also mandates better background checks for people under the age of 21 and restricts violent domestic partners from obtaining guns.
He also signed an executive order earlier this month to make more firearms sales require sellers to pass background checks.
At the time, Biden said the order would move the country “closer to universal background checks without new legislation.”
But Monday’s attack on Covenant School prompted more action.
Tennessee police fatally shot the attacker, identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, at the scene Monday. Hale, the authorities said, in possession of three weapons: a rifle, an assault-style pistol and a handgun.
At least two of the weapons were legally obtained in Nashville, according to police.
Officers reportedly recovered additional firearms during a search of Hale’s home.
Igor Bobic contributed reporting.