WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Senate Democrats, like Sen. Dick Durbin, are searching for solutions to the gun violence they say is endangering American lives.
“I wonder how our founding fathers would’ve reflected on a chilling milestone as we surpass 100 mass shootings a little over a week ago,” Durbin said.
Durbin says last year’s Supreme Court ruling that people don’t need a reason to apply for a concealed carry license, will make the matter worse.
“Proliferation of weapons in America has not brought peace to our streets but just the opposite,” Durbin said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) worries the ruling could stand in the way of common-sense measures like safe storage laws.
“Ethan’s law simply requires that guns be safely stored, doesn’t take away a single gun,” Blumenthal said.
“Before Bruen, safe storage laws fared very well in the courts,” Eric Ruben, SMU Dedman School of Law Assistant Professor said. “It’s a good example of the challenges courts have now.”
But some Republicans argue the right way to curb violence is by keeping criminals behind bars.
“What I can’t square is why we have prosecutors and judges who are letting criminals back out,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said.
Blackburn and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) say there should be more focus on repeat offenders.
“If we want to keep homicides down we ought to arrest, convict and detain those who are violent,” Lee said.
“The failure to incapacitate repeat offenders is at the core of America’s gun violence problem and has been for a long time,” Rafael Mangual, Manhattan Institute Head of Research for Policing and Public Safety Initiative, said.
