Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), whose district includes Uvalde, blames Congress for inaction on guns. An NBC reporter questioned him about gun legislation the day after the Uvalde school massacre (story here) and got the following circular argument from a congressman who obviously doesn’t want to do a lick about guns:
Reporter: “Why does an 18-year-old in Texas need to be able to buy an assault rifle?”
Gonzales: “The reality is this isn’t a new topic. There’s been a lot of legislation that’s been out there.”
Reporter: “You haven’t answered my question though. Why does an 18-year-old need an AR-15 in the state of Texas?”
Gonzales: “This is how the legislative process works. Congress determines the laws. Right now we have a Congress that won’t talk to one another. There’s so much rhetoric and hate.”
Would you like to know how Rep. Gonzales’ votes on gun legislation?
He’s not the only Republican deflecting reporters’ questions after the latest school massacre. They all are. Watch, for example, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) walk away from an interview here.
Last year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a slew of bills loosening gun laws in his state (see details here). Republicans want anyone to be able to carry a gun anywhere, including schools, churches, and daycares. If you vote Republican, that’s what you’ll get.
They couldn’t get away with this if people didn’t elect them. But a lot of people vote for them. This is what Republican voters are doing to all of us, because it affects us all.