Wisconsin Democrats Encouraged By President’s Call For Gun Restrictions

Democrats in Wisconsin’s congressional delegation say they’re encouraged that President Donald Trump is calling for increased gun control measures in the wake of the recent mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

On Thursday, the president tweeted that he’ll push for comprehensive background checks on gun purchases, raising the age limit for buying semi-automatic rifles, and ban the sale of devices known as “bump stocks,” which make semi-automatic rifles capable of shooting hundreds of bullets per minute.

I will be strongly pushing Comprehensive Background Checks with an emphasis on Mental Health. Raise age to 21 and end sale of Bump Stocks! Congress is in a mood to finally do something on this issue – I hope!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018

U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, said she recognizes that Trump is risking alienating some of his conservative supporters by calling for gun reforms. However, she called his positions “baby steps” that avoid a bigger issue.

“I think what the president has come out for will put him at some peril with his base and with the NRA, but you know, the 800-pound gorilla in the room is whether or not we should have assault weapons, whether or not the Second Amendment really relates and pertains to weapons of war,” said Moore.

Moore said she is hesitant though about the mental health aspect of Trump’s call for comprehensive background checks.

“I mean, I don’t want to see everybody who takes depression medicine be put in some database and stigmatized with being dangerous,” Moore said. “Certainly, there are a lot of mentally ill people who are not dangerous at all to anyone.”

U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, said he too appreciated seeing Trump move away from the traditional conservative Republican opposition to changes in gun laws.

“Like many fellow Wisconsinites that hunt and own guns, I believe that there are reasonable steps we can take to enhance gun safety while still being sensitive to Second Amendment rights,” said Kind. “I’m encouraged to see the president move toward supporting these steps, and look forward to working across the aisle to do just that.”

Kind added that the first place to start is to create a bipartisan commission to study and put forward proposals to reduce gun violence in schools and public places. His office did not elaborate on what studies would look at or what proposals might end up coming out of it.

In a statement from the office of U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, his communications director pointed to a previous call by the congressman to reinstate the assault weapons ban passed in 1994.

“As long as Congress fails to act, it is complicit in the deaths of innocent Americans. We must take common sense actions like reinstating the assault weapons ban, ending the sale of high-capacity magazines and closing loopholes in the background check system. For too long, Congress has rolled over when confronted by the NRA and the gun lobby and it’s time to finally take a stand. Congress must act now,” Pocan said in the statement.

No Republican members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation responded to requests for comment on this story.

In a statement to WLUK-TV from U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Green Bay, he commented on a breakdown of communication among local law enforcement leading up to the tragedy in Florida. He did say, though, that he’s open to a bipartisan commission to examine gun violence.

Gallagher said in the statement:

“I am heartbroken by the taking of so many innocent lives this week in Florida. No parent should have to worry about their child’s safety at school, and no child should be in danger in their place of learning.

Alarming reports show that this may have been preventable given that the shooter’s background had been flagged for the FBI — and serious questions need to be answered about why the agency did not look into the shooter further. It has been widely reported that police responded to more than 30 emergency calls to his residence since 2010, he posted violent messages on the internet, and was even banned from the school’s campus for fear he would harm other students. Taken together, these points reveal a catastrophic failure in our coordinated law enforcement system, and they demand a thorough review so we can prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.

We cannot tolerate breakdowns in the systems we rely on to protect us, and we need to investigate exactly where this failure occurred and remedy it. The men and women of law enforcement are among the bravest and most dedicated Americans, but glaring failures like this cannot happen again.

I am fully committed to working with my colleagues in both parties, especially through my service on the Homeland Security Committee, and I fully support a joint commission to examine gun and all forms of violence. We must work to make our country a safer place for students and every person blessed to call our nation home.”

Moore said while she is somewhat encouraged by Trump’s calls for tightening gun laws, she said getting any real reform done before the November, midterm elections will be an uphill battle.

“This is an election year. So, the notion that anything of any significance is going to happen on guns, violence or any other issue would be risky to make that bet,” said Moore. “A betting person wouldn’t put any money on anything significant happening in an election year.”