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Watch: Jim Jordan gets repeatedly slapped down at hearing after complaining Dems 'rushed' to pass gun laws
June 2, 2022 12:51PM ET
Congressman Jim Jordan speaking with attendees at the 2021 AmericaFest. (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) complained that Democrats were rushing to pass gun safety laws following the massacre of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School, and he was repeatedly met with criticism.
The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing Thursday on the Protecting Our Kids Act, and the Ohio Republican opened his remarks by expressing sympathy for the families of those killed in Uvalde, Texas, as well as those killed in Buffalo last month and then Tulsa on Wednesday, but then complained that Democrats wanted to pass legislation in response to the murders.
"No one wants another tragedy, no one wants this to happen again," Jordan said. "That's why it's regretful that Democrats have rushed to a markup today in what seems more like political theater than a real attempt at improving public safety or finding solutions. The Democrats never once reached out to us to seek our input on the legislation we are considering today. Protecting children is not a Republican or Democrat issue."
Jordan pointed out the Democratic majority had already passed gun safety measures in the House of Representatives, but he claimed the narrowly divided Senate wouldn't vote on them because, he claimed, they were too radical.
"Those bills are radical attempts to legislate away Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens," Jordan said. "The Senate has not taken up the legislation, just like it won't take up this bill. What we're doing is designed to appeal to Democratic primary voters."
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) was the first to fact check Jordan, saying comprehensive gun safety laws had been delayed for decades.
"The Democrats are not rushing anything," Cohen said. "The public is demanding we take action because they have seen what happened in Uvalde, Texas, they have seen what happened in Buffalo, they have seen what happened in Tulsa. It is happening all too often. It is deadly. Assault weapons were banned from 1994 to 2004, it was constitutionally permissible. It wasn't until 2008 and the Heller decision, when Justice [Antonin] Scalia said that people had a right based on the Second Amendment to protect their homes with reasonable weapons and said that that was not something that would prohibit government from having more restrictive laws on people with mental health problems or people who have criminal backgrounds or other possible changes in the law."
Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) went next, saying that Americans had failed the children killed in Uvalde, whom she identified by name, but she singled out Republican legislators for blame.
"One young man pulled the trigger, but we all have failed them," Garcia said. "America failed them and the other thousands of children who died as result of gun violence. Republicans are complicit in negligence and neglected to responsibly address comprehensive gun reform. Republicans are complicit in the shooting in Buffalo, for encouraging white supremacy and promoting replacement theory. The Republicans are complicit in the lives lost in Pulse [Nightclub] Florida for their homophobia and anti-human rights narrative. Republicans are complicit in El Paso for their anti-immigrant narrative and putting gun lobby interests over people's lives. House Democrats stand with the victims and the loved ones."
"We stand to act with the people, not gun interests," Garcia added. "We have been consistent, we are not rushing. We have already passed some bills. There are solutions, they are not premature. We have passed reforms and measures to ensure we are protecting our community, and most especially our little children, our angels."
Then Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) took his shots, reminding Jordan that guns were the leading cause of death for children and that more than 311,000 students had been exposed to gun violence since the Columbine massacre.
"Tell the parents who lost children, tell the family members who saw loved ones slaughtered that we are rushing," Cicilline said. "The real question is why has it taken us so long, and there is one reason: We don't have Republican colleagues in the fight with us. We passed two bills to strengthen criminal background checks. Our ranking member described those as radical attempts to take away the Second Amendment. That is a bill supported by 90 percent of the American people. Common sense, as well as closing the Charleston loophole. Enough with these bogus arguments about the Second Amendment. This is about fulfilling our responsibility to keep our constituents safe from gun violence."Leave a Comment