Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer is pledging to act on gun control after a shooting at a Colorado supermarket left 10-individuals dead earlier this week.
“We cannot seem to finish grieving one tragedy before another takes place,” the New York Democrat said from the floor of the Senate on Tuesday. “It is a reminder that we must confront a devastating truth in the United States, an unrelenting epidemic of gun violence steals innocent lives with alarming regularity.”
Arguing that “there was a lot of work to do,” Mr. Schumer recommitted himself to putting legislation up for a vote in the Senate that mandates universal background checks for all gun purchases.
“The Senate is going to debate and address the epidemic of gun violence in this country,” the majority leader said.
Mr. Schumer’s remarks came one day after Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was taken into custody under suspicion of opening fire at a Boulder, Colorado, supermarket. According to local police, Mr. Alissa, 21, has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and will be transported to the Boulder County jail. His motive for the shooting remains unclear.
Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed condolences and outrage over the tragedy. Democrats, however, also argue the shooting underscores the need for broader gun control measures.
Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican, pushed back on such calls Tuesday. During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on “common-sense steps to reduce gun violence,” Mr. Cruz claimed that gun control measures did little but make “law-abiding citizens … more likely to [become] victims.”
“What happens in this committee after every mass shooting is Democrats propose taking guns away from law-abiding citizens because that is their political objective, but what they propose not only does it not reduce crime, it makes it worse,” he said.
• Haris Alic can be reached at halic@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.