Look at what Pelosi had to say…
Following Democratic lawmakers expressing concern about challenging the NRA due to the group’s power, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA.) shared a stern message to fellow Democrats: Political careers are nothing compared to protecting kids.
In her letter, Pelosi stressed the “unspeakable grief” the victims’ families were enduring in the wake of the massacre in Texas, urging Republicans to reconsider their views on gun laws, adding that irrespective of support from the Senate, the House would be moving ahead with its anti-gun violence proposals.
The California Democrat also revealed that lawmakers could expect tough votes ahead.
On Wednesday evening, in a statement, Pelosi acknowledged lawmakers’ “sentiments and our moments of silence are not enough. We must take action.”
“To Members of Congress, I say: your political survival is insignificant compared to the survival of America’s children,” Pelosi continued.
Pelosi’s statements are a stark contrast to many other Democratic leaders who have, in this cycle, been treading carefully when approaching gun reform measures.
Last year, the House passed two bills that would bolster the FBI’s system of background checks for those purchasing firearms, but both have stalled in the Senate. For the most part, House Democrats have avoided very controversial proposals, including passing bills that would ban semi-automatic rifles, like the AR-15, which were first barred in 1994 but have become popular since their prohibition ended in 2004.
Voting to ban the rifles again could also be risky for incumbent House Democrats in purple districts, who have to contend with those in favor and those opposed to stricter gun control laws. Tuesday’s massacre in Uvalde, Texas, and the massacre in Buffalo on May 14 have also put lawmakers under additional pressure to take decisive action, but what that action entails depends on voters’ views on gun control, placing incumbent lawmakers in a further precarious situation.
