Rep. Jim Jordan accused House Democrats on Thursday of engaging in political theater by pushing a spate of gun control bills that have no hope of becoming law.
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the legislation, Mr. Jordan, Ohio Republican, said Democrats are not serious about finding bipartisan solutions to curtail mass shootings.
“Democrats have rushed to a markup today in what seems more like political theater than a real attempt at improving public safety or finding solutions,” Mr. Jordan said. “Democrats never once reached out to us to seek our input on the legislation we are considering here today.”
The remarks came during a heated hearing on a package of bills written by Democratic congressional leaders in response to last month’s school shooting in Texas that left 19 children and two adults dead.
Pushed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the bills seek to raise the age at which a semiautomatic rifle can be purchased from 18 to 21. They also would ban the sale and manufacture of gun magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
Apart from direct gun purchases, the legislation would require gun owners to register bump stocks, devices attached to semiautomatic rifles to enable the firing of bullets more rapidly, and ban the sale, manufacture and possession of new ones for civilian use.
Mr. Jordan argued the bills amount to little more than a publicity stunt because they had no hope of getting through the evenly divided Senate.
“This is not a real attempt, in my judgment, to find solutions,” Mr. Jordan said. “What we’re [debating today] is designed to appeal to Democratic primary voters.”
• Haris Alic can be reached at halic@washingtontimes.com.
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