Democratic Sen. Chris Coons doesn’t think the current Congress will pass any gun control measures, even though the calls from students who survived a deadly shooting at their school are growing louder.
The Delaware lawmaker said on CBS’s “Face The Nation” that as long as Republicans control Congress, there will not be any meaningful gun control legislation passed.
“I am not optimistic that, until there is real action by the American public to demand change in Congress, that we’re going to see real action to confront gun violence out of this Congress,” he said.
He added, “There have been efforts. But let’s be blunt. One party controls the floor in the Senate and the House; the Republicans determine what is going to get a vote.”
Coons said he’s hurting for the community of Parkland, Fla., where Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is located. A former student came into the building with a loaded AR-15 rifle and killed 17 people Wednesday.
“It is heartbreaking. I am heartsick over the fact that we in Congress have failed to act to protect our teenagers, protect schools and churches too, protect America’s safe spaces from the scourge of gun violence,” he said.
“There are things we should do to make it harder for people with mental health problems, people who are convicted felons, people who have domestic violence convictions, from easily getting guns.”
