GOP senator slams his own party for focusing more on winning elections than finding a real solution for gun violence
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) is not pleased with the Republican Party's priorities as the November midterm elections approach. According to HuffPost, Cramer recently suggested that his party is more focused on winning elections than being proactive in combatting gun control.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, June 14, Cramer said, “I think we’re more interested in the red wave than we are in red flags, quite honestly, as Republicans, and we have a pretty good opportunity to do that."
Cramer's remarks come as a bipartisan group of lawmakers work to craft a proposed piece of legislation for the adoption of “'red flag' laws that would allow authorities to temporarily seize firearms from people determined to be a danger to themselves or others," per HuffPost.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has also suggested that he will throw his support behind the proposed bill. During his weekly press conference, the top-ranking Republican lawmaker noted that he is "comfortable" with the framework.
“I’m comfortable with the framework and if the legislation ends up reflecting what the framework indicates, I’ll be supportive,” the Kentucky Republican said, adding that a substantial number of gun owners have also shown support for the initiative.
However, other Republican lawmakers have expressed concern about the "red flag" laws as they believe they could ultimately be a violation of due process rights. “If we’re not going to pass a federal red flag [law], why would we incentivize states to do something that we think is a bad idea?” Cramer asked.
In wake of the discussions about "red flag" laws, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has remained relatively silent on its stance regarding the framework. Many Republican lawmakers have taken a similar position out of fear of blowback with the impending midterm elections.
\u201c10 members of the \u201cSurrender Caucus\u201d in the Senate have apparently reached a deal with gun-grabbing Democrats to reduce law-abiding American\u2019s 2nd Amendment rights.\u201d— Congressman Bob Good (@Congressman Bob Good) 1655159754
When asked if his support of gun control could hamper his chances of re-election, Cramer said, “I suppose it could but I think people overwhelmingly want us to do something.”
However, Democrats have a more firm perspective on things and argue such laws would not violate due process.
“The amount of money in this bill for red flags is frankly going to be dwarfed by the amount of money for school safety and mental health,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who serves as Democrats' leading negotiator of the proposed bill.
