Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer came down hard in support of an assault rifle ban Sunday.
“We have to do something real so that when kids go to school, they worry about their tests, they don’t worry about being shot,” he told a Manhattan crowd.
“We are united and I have pledged to these students and millions of others that we will bring to the floor these three measures and force a vote,” he added. “And once the political leaders, particularly Senator McConnell and Speaker Ryan, see the strength if this movement, I think they’ll have no choice but to put these bills on the floor and allow the vote.”
The Parkland, Florida high school shooting changed the gun control debate. Americans have increasingly come to support measures that activists have been fighting for.
“Never again do we want what happened in Parkland, never again do we want what happened in Las Vegas, never again do we want what happened Orlando, never again do we want what happened at Sandy Hook to happen to our people here in America, ” Schumer said.
Schumer supports an assault rifle ban, expanded background checks, and protection orders against dangerous individuals.
“America is united behind these three issues. We need the president to step up to the plate. He had a good bi-partisan meeting where he pledged to help us, then the next day he met with the NRA and backed off,” Schumer said.
Student activists are leading the charge for gun control now. Schumer was surrounded by teenagers when he gave his speech over the weekend. Americans are paying attention, and many want change as well.
However, Schumer goes too far. An assault rifle ban is far too unpopular to be feasible.
“This is a campaign, it’s not just in New York, it’s not just in California, not just in Florida, it is in every town in every city, every place in America. Young people are leading us. They are leading the way and making sure that we do something as a nation, once and for all, about gun violence,” Schumer said.
(Source: New York Post)