It’s become sadly predictable how Republican lawmakers respond after another mass shooting.
During a previously scheduled Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today, Senators John Kennedy and Ted Cruz dutifully trotted out two well-worn GOP remarks as democrats argued that the Boulder incident as well as last week’s shooting in Atlanta demand action. Sen. Kennedy said this:
Hours after America’s second mass shooting in a week, Sen. John Kennedy downplays the gun problem by noting that “we have a lot of drunk drivers in America that kill a lot of people. We ought to try to combat that too … the answer is not to get rid of all sober drivers.” pic.twitter.com/BvqhNvuWRJ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 23, 2021
Not to be outdone, Sen. Cruz issued his “thoughts and prayers” and then accused Democrats of using the latest mass shooting to push for gun reform that he claims would only hurt law-abiding citizens. He also dismissed efforts like this as “ridiculous theater.”
An angry Ted Cruz says “what happens in this committee after every mass shooting is Democrats propose taking away guns from law abiding citizens.” pic.twitter.com/DXaixXxdyp
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 23, 2021
If the American people are waiting for any kind of good-faith bi-partisan discussion about meaningful gun reform, then get comfortable. That will be a very long wait.