“If now is not the time to have a serious discussion about gun control…I don’t know when is,” says Rep. Nadler of New York. Meanwhile, most lawmakers steer clear of policy pronouncements.
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WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler on Friday called for "a serious discussion about gun control" in the wake of a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
“We cannot simply accept this as a routine product of modern American life," Nadler said in a statement. "If now is not the time to have a serious discussion about gun control and the epidemic of gun violence plaguing our society, I don’t know when is."
"How many more Columbines and Newtowns must we live through?" Nadler, of New York, continued. "I am challenging President Obama, the Congress, and the American public to act on our outrage and, finally, do something about this.”
Rep. Mike Honda, a former educator himself, echoed Nadler's sentiment in a post on Facebook.
"This event, much like the numerous other shootings earlier this year, will undoubtedly lead to difficult discussions about safety, public policy and emergency preparedness," Honda, a California Democrat, wrote. "This self-reflection is natural, and it is my hope that we can finally take action to address the root causes of these horrific tragedies together, as a nation."
But so far, most lawmakers have not taken such a bold stance in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement, "We are all stunned, shocked, and distraught by this tragic shooting, by this violent act, and by the loss of so many young children." She did not make mention of how Congress might respond legislatively to the shooting.
In other statements and on Twitter, many members of Congress extended their "thoughts and prayers" to those involved in the shooting.
