Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday President Trump’s indecision on guns after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., is making the road toward passing any gun control legislation more difficult.
Schumer told reporters Tuesday that, while he is pleased the president has spoken out on the issue, lawmakers are not entirely sure what legislation Trump will or will not sign as proposals are floated on Capitol Hill. He has pointed to their multiple negotiations in recent months, particularly on immigration and the Dreamers, as his reason for pause.
“Until President Trump puts to paper what he really wants, you never really know what he really wants, as we have learned that hard lesson over and over and over again,” Schumer said during his weekly press conference.
“So I’m not yet encouraged. If he comes out with something specific that actually moves things forward — he said, ‘we want universal [background checks].’ We’ll see if we mean the same thing. But if he did, that would be great.”
Earlier Tuesday, Schumer and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., met with students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at the Capitol and said their primary call was for Congress to pass legislation on comprehensive background checks
However, the main discussion has centered around legislation proposed by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., that would tighten FBI background checks of prospective gun purchasers.
The Fix NICS Act, which has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association, would reinforce a federal agency requirement for agencies to report infractions to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. While Schumer supports the measure, he believes it is “tiny” and a “modest step” compared to what needs to be done, including on background checks.
“We in Congress have an obligation to pass meaningful gun safety legislation that will save lives and tackle as many of the loopholes and problems with our gun laws as we can,” Schumer said. “Not just one narrow tweak at the margin.”
