Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 3 OcTOber 2017
In face of Las Vegas shooting, congressional inaction

By MATTHEW DALY “What Congress can do Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., counting on you.” then Republicans have
Associated Press — what Congress must do a gun control proponent, But no action was expect- usually pointed to men-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The — is pass laws that keep said it was “time for Con- ed, as other mass shootings tal health legislation when
deadly mass shooting in questioned about the ap-
Las Vegas renewed Dem- propriate congressional re-
ocrats’ calls Monday for sponse to gun violence.
Congress to act on gun Instead, Republicans have
safety legislation, but their been pushing a couple
pleas fell on deaf ears in NRA-backed bills to loosen
the GOP-controlled Con- firearms restrictions. A Re-
gress. At the same time publican-led House com-
GOP legislation aimed at mittee last month backed
loosening gun rules stood in the silencer bill by Rep. Jeff
limbo, facing an uncertain Duncan of South Carolina,
future. Before the shooting who said it would help hunt-
that killed at least 58 peo- ers protect their hearing.
ple — the worst mass shoot- Democrats scoffed, noting
ing in modern U.S. history that the bill also would al-
— House GOP leaders had low more armor-piercing
been moving forward with ammunition. House Demo-
bills to ease regulations on cratic leader Nancy Pelosi
gun silencers and allow invoked the June shoot-
people with concealed- ing of Majority Whip Steve
carry permits to take their Scalise to oppose the bill
weapons to other states. last week, saying, “If you
Republicans have been can hear (a gunshot) you
upbeat about prospects Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., right, listens as her husband Mark Kelly, left, speaks on can run” away.
for legislation as they con- Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, about the mass shooting in Las Vegas. Giffords, Hillary Clinton tweeted
trol both the House and was a congresswoman when she was shot in an assassination attempt in 2011. Monday that the crowd
Senate and have an ally (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) in Las Vegas “fled at the
in the White House in Presi- our citizens safe,” Minority gress to get off its ass and in Colorado, Connecticut, sound of gunshots. Imagine
dent Donald Trump. But no Leader Chuck Schumer of do something.” In an out- and Florida, and even at- the deaths if the shooter
votes on either bill were New York said on the Sen- door news conference, for- tacks on lawmakers, failed had a silencer, which the
scheduled as of Monday. ate floor. “And that starts mer Arizona Rep. Gabrielle to unite Congress on any NRA wants to make easier
Democrats seized on the with laws that help prevent Giffords, grievously wound- legislative response. A bi- to get.” Pelosi on Mon-
violence in Nevada to de- guns, especially the most ed in a 2011 attack, turned partisan bill on background day asked House Speaker
mand tougher gun restric- dangerous guns, from fall- to the Capitol, raised her checks failed in the Senate Paul Ryan to create a se-
tions. ing into the wrong hands.” fist and said, “The nation is four years ago, and since lect committee on gun
violence to recommend
legislation. Ryan ordered
the flags of the Capitol
to fly at half-staff, and is-
sued a statement saying,
“the whole country stands
united in our shock, in our
condolences and in our
prayers.” But the speaker
has shown no interest in
legislation to tighten up
gun laws. In an interview
with The Associated Press
last month, he said Con-
gress needs to fund men-
tal health reforms. “But if
you’re saying that this Re-
publican Congress is go-
ing to infringe upon Sec-
ond Amendment rights,
we’re not going to do
that,” he added. Duncan,
who grew up hunting with
his father, included the si-
lencer measure in a larger
bill to expand hunting and
fishing on federal lands. He
suffers from hearing loss in
one ear as a result of firing
guns without earmuffs or
suppressors, the term ad-
vocates prefer to “silenc-
ers.” The devices muffle the
noise of gunshots rather
than mute it.q