Florida congressman blasts 'broken democracy' for allowing NRA to 'buy our elections'

Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL) on Wednesday admitted that the proliferation of assault rifles in the United States shows that our democracy is "broken."

"If a majority of Americans have long supported stricter gun control regulations but our elected officials who are supposed to represent the people have done nothing, does this mean that our democracy is broken?" Robert Schentrup, the older brother of fallen Marjory Stoneman Douglas student Carmen Schentrup, asked the congressman during CNN's gun control town hall.

"Is our democracy broken?" Deutch mused. "A little bit."

"When any organization spends tens of millions of dollars promoting the interests of gun corporations to influence what happens in our elections, then yes, our democracy is a little broken," he said, referencing the National Rifle Association.

"Here's the beauty of our democracy," Deutch continued. "No matter how much money the NRA spends on political campaigns, millions and millions of dollars spent trying to convince people that representing the interests of gun companies is more important than standing up for America, no matter how much they spend, here's why our democracy is great, because everything we've seen, from the 3,300 survivors of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the leadership that has been shown is leading a movement that is so much stronger than money spent in political campaigns."

The Florida Democrat went on to say that nearly "everyone in America" supports universal background checks for guns.

Watch below, via CNN: