The two men running for governor of Texas this November clashed angrily over gun control on Wednesday, as the second massacre in the United States in two weeks revived the debate over the use of firearms. in the country.
Beto O’Rourke, the Democratic candidate for governor, was ousted at a news conference hosted by incumbent Greg Abbott after being accused of “doing nothing” to curb armed violence in the state.
The public dispute over a day of angry exchanges between Republicans and Democrats following the shooting at Robb Elementary in the Texan town of Uvalde, in which 19 children and two adults were killed.
But gun control advocates admit that they are unlikely to be able to mobilize the outrage caused by the killings in significant federal legislation.
Abbott convened a press conference to learn more about the shooting, told reporters the killer had no known history of mental health problems, and urged Texans to support the families of the victims.
But O’Rourke interrupted him from the ground, saying, “You’re not doing anything…. That’s totally predictable.”
“It’s up to you until you decide to do something different. This will continue to happen,” O’Rourke said after being removed from the front of the room. “Someone has to defend the children of this state or they will continue to be murdered as they were killed yesterday in Uvalde.”
Tuesday’s massacre was the second such event in 11 days, after a gunman killed 10 people at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York on May 14.
President Joe Biden joined other Democratic leaders on Wednesday in urging Republicans to sign tougher gun control laws, saying, “It’s time for action. Today we are here for the same purpose of meeting and saying enough “. He said he would visit Uvalde in the coming days.
Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, for his part, began the so-called “Rule 14” process to pave the way for a quick Senate vote on two bills already passed by the House that they would extend background checks for gun buyers. Both bills would force those who want to buy weapons at gun shows or on the Internet to undergo background checks and would give the FBI more time to investigate potential buyers.
Schumer warned, however, that there was little chance that enough Republicans would support the bill to clear the majority of 60 votes needed to avoid a blockage.
Schumer told senators, “My fellow Republicans can work with us now. I know this is a slender perspective: very slender, too slender. We’ve been burned so many times before. But that’s very important.”
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He added: “There are some who want this body to quickly pass reasonable gun safety legislation… I think the votes of responsibility are important. know where their senators are. They know. “
Previous attempts to tighten controls have stalled in the Senate after failing to get enough support to prevent obstructionism.
Dick Durbin, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he would schedule a hearing on armed violence, but not until after this weekend’s Memorial Day break.
Senate Republicans have suggested that they are unlikely to change their votes this time. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on Tuesday accused Democrats of trying to politicize the issue and called for armed law enforcement to be deployed in schools.
Speaking in the Senate on Wednesday, Mitch McConnell, the highest-ranking Republican in the House, did not mention the possibility of stricter gun laws. Instead, he quoted the Bible and said, “The Lord is near to those with a broken heart.”