Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., on Sunday challenged President Trump and other Republican lawmakers to visit Parkland, Fla., and talk to the students and families of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were killed by a lone gunman with a AR-style firearm on Valentine’s Day.
“He should come to the speaker [of the House] with those kids, and he should encourage [Sen.] Marco Rubio to come to Parkland and face these kids directly, and he should encourage the president to come to Parkland,” Deutch, who represents the congressional district where the shooting took place, told Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., on ABC.
“Stop using this for politics and come to Parkland, and talk to these kids and their families and everyone who has suffered. That’s what should happen. That’s how change will come,” Deutch continued, speaking to the Florida Republican from the district south of Parkland.
.@RepTedDeutch, who represents the Florida district where the deadly school shooting took place, tells Pres. Trump to “come to Parkland and talk to these kids and their families and everyone who has suffered… That’s how change will come.” #ThisWeek https://t.co/gYLb1H0k3f pic.twitter.com/ByKKxN6EyD
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 18, 2018
Trump — who is staying at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., this weekend — visited Broward Health North Hospital on Friday with first lady Melania Trump to meet with wounded students and staff after the tragedy.
Afterwards, the Trumps met with Florida law enforcement officials at the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, along with Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School community did not want to hear about how Curbelo has co-sponsored legislation like the Bipartisan King-Thompson Background Check Bill, Deutch said.
The King-Thompson measures, among other gun law proposals, has stalled in Congress.
“Carlos is a friend,” Deutch said. “He also voted for Paul Ryan for speaker.”
“It’s not members of Congress, it’s the speaker of the house who refuses to bring these bills up,” Deutch added. “And the few times when we have a chance to actually introduce amendments to try to bring them to the floor, Carlos has voted against those. We need the opportunity to vote.”
Confessed shooter Nikolas Cruz, 19, has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.
