House GOP leaders said Tuesday they will look to correct systemic problems in background checks and law enforcement they said led to the Florida shooting, but said that won’t include taking away rights of law-abiding citizens.
“There was a colossal breakdown,” Speaker Paul D. Ryan said after meeting with House Republicans.
He said the House has already approved legislation to improve the federal background check system by including more records of banned buyers, and said they’ll await whatever the Senate is able to do.
Mr. Ryan also said the focus needs to be on where the existing system failed. He pointed to the FBI and local law enforcement missing warnings about the accused shooter, and also cited the sheriff’s deputy stationed at the school who did not enter the building to confront the shooter.
That deputy has drawn condemnation from politicians in Washington, including President Trump, who said he would have rushed into the school. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican who survived a shooting attack last year because Capitol police were on hand, said he was struck by the deputy’s behavior.
“What angered me the most is when I see breakdowns with law enforcement,” Mr. Scalise said.
Mr. Ryan said he personally agrees with Mr. Trump’s call for schools to consider letting qualified teachers carry weapons to try to deter shootings, but said it’s an issue that’s up to local school districts, not Congress.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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