Arizona Congressional Delegation Reacts To U.S. House Gun Legislation

Published: Friday, March 1, 2019 - 3:33pm
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U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

Nearly four years after a shooting at a Charleston, South Carolina, church left nine people dead, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two bills aimed at stemming gun violence.

Blaming a defective background check as the cause of the Charleston shooting, House Democrats Thursday passed legislation that would allow a review period of up to 10 days to authorize firearm purchases.

That measure came a day after a more bipartisan coalition of representatives passed a bill that requires federal background checks for all gun sales and transfers of firearms.

Arizona Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton says the bills are a no-brainer. “This is what almost over 95 percent of the American people support.”

Stanton and Democrat Raul Grijalva co-sponsored Thursday’s legislation along with over 230 of their fellow party members.

But, Arizona Republican Congresswoman Debbie Lesko said the bills will not work. “H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112, although well-intentioned, will not reduce gun violence, and instead it will turn every day, law-abiding individuals into criminals.”

The bills move to the U.S. Senate where they are expected to fail.

President Trump has threatened a veto if they should pass in the upper chamber.