Trump Keeps Promising Action On Gun Control But Republicans Might Not Be Able To Deliver
Republicans in Congress are nowhere near coming together around any plan to address gun violence   nearly two weeks after a school shooting in Florida left 17 dead   and despite President Donald Trump ’ s promises to take action . Returning to Washington Monday after a week on recess   Republicans were divided on a slew of proposals the president has raised   and some questioned whether any reforms are needed at all . “ I don ’ t think we need more gun control  ” Louisiana Sen . John Kennedy told reporters Monday . “ I think we need better idiot control .” Trump   who has been talking to congressional Republicans and lobbyists from the National Rifle Association in recent days   has proposed a broad range of ideas during listening sessions and in tweets   including increasing the age requirement for purchasing certain types of guns   arming some teachers   making changes to the background check system   reopening mental institutions   and banning bump stocks through the Department of Justice . The White House is scheduled to host a bipartisan group of lawmakers Wednesday to come up with a path forward on some of those ideas . “ We continue to mourn the loss of so many precious young lives  ” Trump said Monday . “ These are incredible people . I visited with a lot of them . But we ’ ll turn our grief into action .” While the media campaign from the young survivors of the Parkland shooting has kept up the pressure on lawmakers to act   many Republicans are still reluctant to push significant changes to gun policy and challenge the NRA   which has five million members — the majority of whom live in conservative districts . In a room with several Republican governors    Trump  said Monday not to worry about the influential group . " You guys — half of you are so afraid of the NRA  ”  he  said . “ There ' s nothing to be afraid of . And you know what   if they ' re not with you   we have to fight them every once in a while . That ' s OK ." Despite Trump ’ s lobbying and focus   several Republicans who are strong advocates of the Second Amendment aren ’ t convinced gun control measures will curb mass shootings . Some Republicans   like Arizona Sen . Jeff Flake   who is not running for reelection   are more open to gun control reforms   including raising the age for purchasing some types of guns to 21 . “ This shooting was different  ” Flake told reporters   arguing that it would be hard for Republicans to not bring legislation up for a vote . “ It was amazing to me how quickly it died down after Las Vegas   but this one   with high school kids who have been very articulate in their   you know   in their explanation of what ' s needed and social media and everything else . We seem to have crossed the Rubicon here ." Florida Rep . Mario Díaz - Balart also took a more open position . “ I ' m willing to look at anything to keep the American people safe   but I also need to make sure that we protect individual liberties  " he told reporters Monday . Rep . Mark Meadows   chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus   said his group plans to discuss various gun control measures   but some   such as raising the legal age of purchasing some firearms   will not be supported by the majority of the Republican party . Another measure being discussed is the so - called Fix NICS bill   which would strengthen the National Instant Criminal Background Check System . That measure was passed by the House in December   but only after being tied to rules that would allow anyone with a concealed - carry permit to carry concealed weapons across state lines . That made the bill a nonstarter in the Senate . Meadows said at the time Speaker Paul Ryan told the Freedom Caucus there would be no other votes on Fix NICS . Now it is being floated again   but Meadows says the Freedom Caucus has objections over due process fears . Meadows said the legislation as written would allow for guns to be taken away from people who do not have proper channels to defend their mental state . The  Trump  administration   for all of the president ’ s calls to action   has not moved to rally Republicans around any specific proposals   and is yet to provide any language on exactly what they would like Congress to support .  Trump  has said several times  he  ’ d like to strengthen background checks   but the president and  his  aides have declined to say if they support universal background checks   which failed to garner enough votes in Congress in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting . And on raising the age requirements   a measure that the NRA does not support   White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday   “ it would be premature for us to weigh in . But   as I said   the president is still supportive of the concept .” Reluctant Republicans could be more willing to get behind the president once he officially backs specific proposals   said South Carolina Sen . Lindsey Graham . “ Anything the president gets behind   because he ' s a Republican president   is a game changer  ” Graham told reporters Monday . “ So if he wants to raise the age to 21   I ' m not so sure that ' s a good idea   but if he got behind it   then you ' re in the ball game ." Without backing from Republicans in Congress   there is little that the administration can do to curb gun violence . Even on banning bump stocks — the one measure that the president has said he can do through the Department of Justice — it ’ s unclear if the department will have the authority to enforce such a ban   and there are already concerns about the legal battles it could lead to . And Trump ’ s oft mentioned idea to arm thousands of teachers or train them to conceal and carry has proven to be divisive   even among congressional Republicans . " I think arming educators is a really bad idea  " Maine GOP Sen . Susan Collins told reporters Monday . Because they ' re trained to teach   not to be security guards . They already have a lot on their plate   and I think it ' s a terrible idea ." Montana Sen . Steve Daines   meanwhile   said he does support arming schools   and opposes most of the other policies his colleagues or the president have raised . He dismissed proposals such as raising the legal age limit to buy certain types of weapons as “ feel - good measures that are not going to solve the problem .” He pointed to the US Capitol as a potential model for school safety . “ Why have we not seen an active shooting in the Capitol ? You know why   because we have armed guards out front  ” Daines said . Meadows also said he is open to the idea of protecting schools by arming some teachers . “ It happens in other areas . Churches generally have concealed - carry security guards each and every Sunday . Certainly in Israel the synagogues do  ” he said . Several other Republicans simply avoided taking hard stances on any of the president ’ s ideas on gun control . Louisiana Sen . Bill Cassidy said he is “ willing to consider ” the proposal to arm teachers in schools   and Alabama Sen . Richard Shelby urged caution on that particular idea   but he did not come out against it . A Parkland student and one of the young organizers of the # NeverAgain movement for gun control that has come out of the shooting met with Democrats Monday   and tweeted that the “ uproar ” over guns is now “ undeniable .”
Republicans in Congress are nowhere near coming together around any plan to address gun violence   nearly two weeks after a school shooting in Florida left 17 dead   and despite [TGT] ’ s promises to take action . Returning to Washington Monday after a week on recess   Republicans were divided on a slew of proposals [TGT] has raised   and some questioned whether any reforms are needed at all . “ I don ’ t think we need more gun control  ” Louisiana Sen . John Kennedy told reporters Monday . “ I think we need better idiot control .” Trump   who has been talking to congressional Republicans and lobbyists from the National Rifle Association in recent days   has proposed a broad range of ideas during listening sessions and in tweets   including increasing the age requirement for purchasing certain types of guns   arming some teachers   making changes to the background check system   reopening mental institutions   and banning bump stocks through the Department of Justice . The White House is scheduled to host a bipartisan group of lawmakers Wednesday to come up with a path forward on some of those ideas . “ We continue to mourn the loss of so many precious young lives  ” Trump said Monday . “ These are incredible people . I visited with a lot of them . But we ’ ll turn our grief into action .” While the media campaign from the young survivors of the Parkland shooting has kept up the pressure on lawmakers to act   many Republicans are still reluctant to push significant changes to gun policy and challenge the NRA   which has five million members — the majority of whom live in conservative districts . In a room with several Republican governors    Trump  said Monday not to worry about the influential group . " You guys — half of you are so afraid of the NRA  ”  he  said . “ There ' s nothing to be afraid of . And you know what   if they ' re not with you   we have to fight them every once in a while . That ' s OK ." Despite Trump ’ s lobbying and focus   several Republicans who are strong advocates of the Second Amendment aren ’ t convinced gun control measures will curb mass shootings . Some Republicans   like Arizona Sen . Jeff Flake   who is not running for reelection   are more open to gun control reforms   including raising the age for purchasing some types of guns to 21 . “ This shooting was different  ” Flake told reporters   arguing that it would be hard for Republicans to not bring legislation up for a vote . “ It was amazing to me how quickly it died down after Las Vegas   but this one   with high school kids who have been very articulate in their   you know   in their explanation of what ' s needed and social media and everything else . We seem to have crossed the Rubicon here ." Florida Rep . Mario Díaz - Balart also took a more open position . “ I ' m willing to look at anything to keep the American people safe   but I also need to make sure that we protect individual liberties  " he told reporters Monday . Rep . Mark Meadows   chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus   said his group plans to discuss various gun control measures   but some   such as raising the legal age of purchasing some firearms   will not be supported by the majority of the Republican party . Another measure being discussed is the so - called Fix NICS bill   which would strengthen the National Instant Criminal Background Check System . That measure was passed by the House in December   but only after being tied to rules that would allow anyone with a concealed - carry permit to carry concealed weapons across state lines . That made the bill a nonstarter in the Senate . Meadows said at the time Speaker Paul Ryan told the Freedom Caucus there would be no other votes on Fix NICS . Now it is being floated again   but Meadows says the Freedom Caucus has objections over due process fears . Meadows said the legislation as written would allow for guns to be taken away from people who do not have proper channels to defend their mental state . The  Trump  administration   for all of the president ’ s calls to action   has not moved to rally Republicans around any specific proposals   and is yet to provide any language on exactly what they would like Congress to support .  Trump  has said several times  he  ’ d like to strengthen background checks   but the president and  his  aides have declined to say if they support universal background checks   which failed to garner enough votes in Congress in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting . And on raising the age requirements   a measure that the NRA does not support   White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday   “ it would be premature for us to weigh in . But   as I said   the president is still supportive of the concept .” Reluctant Republicans could be more willing to get behind the president once he officially backs specific proposals   said South Carolina Sen . Lindsey Graham . “ Anything the president gets behind   because he ' s a Republican president   is a game changer  ” Graham told reporters Monday . “ So if he wants to raise the age to 21   I ' m not so sure that ' s a good idea   but if he got behind it   then you ' re in the ball game ." Without backing from Republicans in Congress   there is little that the administration can do to curb gun violence . Even on banning bump stocks — the one measure that the president has said he can do through the Department of Justice — it ’ s unclear if the department will have the authority to enforce such a ban   and there are already concerns about the legal battles it could lead to . And Trump ’ s oft mentioned idea to arm thousands of teachers or train them to conceal and carry has proven to be divisive   even among congressional Republicans . " I think arming educators is a really bad idea  " Maine GOP Sen . Susan Collins told reporters Monday . Because they ' re trained to teach   not to be security guards . They already have a lot on their plate   and I think it ' s a terrible idea ." Montana Sen . Steve Daines   meanwhile   said he does support arming schools   and opposes most of the other policies his colleagues or the president have raised . He dismissed proposals such as raising the legal age limit to buy certain types of weapons as “ feel - good measures that are not going to solve the problem .” He pointed to the US Capitol as a potential model for school safety . “ Why have we not seen an active shooting in the Capitol ? You know why   because we have armed guards out front  ” Daines said . Meadows also said he is open to the idea of protecting schools by arming some teachers . “ It happens in other areas . Churches generally have concealed - carry security guards each and every Sunday . Certainly in Israel the synagogues do  ” he said . Several other Republicans simply avoided taking hard stances on any of the president ’ s ideas on gun control . Louisiana Sen . Bill Cassidy said he is “ willing to consider ” the proposal to arm teachers in schools   and Alabama Sen . Richard Shelby urged caution on that particular idea   but he did not come out against it . A Parkland student and one of the young organizers of the # NeverAgain movement for gun control that has come out of the shooting met with Democrats Monday   and tweeted that the “ uproar ” over guns is now “ undeniable .”