The halls of Congress were filled with tension this week after an explosive confrontation between two lawmakers over gun control. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman got into a shouting match over the issue, signaling how far apart the two parties are when it comes to gun control.
The dispute occurred after Bowman criticized Republicans for not taking action on gun control following the school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday. He shouted at the throng of reporters, accusing Republicans of not caring for the six victims and “not having the courage” to do something about gun violence.
That’s when Massie stepped in, saying that there has never been a shooting “at a school that allows teachers to carry.” Bowman then shot back that “more guns leads to more death,” to which Massie replied that Bowman should “bring facts” to the table.
The two went back and forth for over a minute, until another lawmaker stepped in to try to intervene. Bowman later took to Twitter, saying that Republicans “won’t do S— when it comes to gun violence.” Massie followed up with his own tweet, saying that Bowman had “just shouted” when he was offered a solution.
This exchange perfectly encapsulates the gun debate.
Anti-gunners yell and gesticulate, but their arguments have little substance — they can’t explain how the laws they propose would actually save lives.
Pro gun rights folks can articulate why their proposed restrictions don’t… https://t.co/Dp8xare4al
— Jeff Charles, Agent of Chaos🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) March 30, 2023
First, the acts of a criminal should not affect the rights of American citizens. Second, the Democrats controlled the House and Senate for two years. There was nothing stopping them from dropping the filibuster and passing gun legislation.
This clash between the two lawmakers is a reminder of the deep divide between Democrats and Republicans over gun control. President Biden has already used his executive authority to the fullest, but he’s now pushing for Congress to act. Democrats are pushing for a universal ban on so-called “assault” weapons, but the issue is highly controversial and has no Republican support.
