Texas Tribune: We asked every Texan in Congress about banning "bump stocks" used by Vegas shooter
The Texas Tribune asked all 38 members of the state's congressional delegation whether they would consider a ban on "bump stocks," the type of gun attachment used by the Las Vegas mass shooter.
BY ABBY LIVINGSTON AND CHRIS ESSIG OCT. 4, 2017 14 HOURS AGO
WASHINGTON — Over several hours on Wednesday afternoon, something quite unusual happened on Capitol Hill: A small gun-control measure began to pick up public inerest from a half-dozen or so congressional Republicans.
After Sunday night's mass shooting in Las Vegas that resulted in the deaths of 59 people and well over 500 wounded, many in the political arena were focusing on a legal firearm enhancement known as a "bump" or "bumper stock" that the shooter used to essentially convert multiple guns into automatic weapons.
U.S. Rep. Bill Flores, R-Bryan, was one of the first Republicans to call for a bump stock ban on Wednesday afternoon. Minutes later, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn chimed in, saying he wants Congress to look into the attachments.
The Texas Tribune spent the afternoon checking in with the other 36 members of the delegation. Initially, only 10 of the 38 members immediately responded to our request — though it was an exceptionally hectic afternoon on Capitol Hill, and many Texans were swamped with hearings and floor speeches as this story picked up speed. The Tribune will update this story as new responses come in.
Most of the statements were carefully worded to avoid jumping to conclusions as the investigation in Las Vegas continues. But federal lawmakers may not be able to stay on the fence for long because Republicans elsewhere around the country said they would soon push Congress to address bump stocks.
U.S. Rep. Roger Williams was the first Republican to say outright he would not support a bump stock ban, while most Democrats who responded said they would eagerly support a ban.
U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Dallas took a middle path in her answer: While she decried the level of gun violence in the country and expressed a desire to "get at the motives driving these individuals toward violence," Johnson said she was "not so sure that a ban on bumper stocks would have done anything to prevent the incident in Las Vegas."
Sen. John Cornyn R
In a Wednesday conference call, Cornyn said he was "for law abiding citizens who have no criminal record and no mental impairment or disability being able to exercise their second amendment rights to the fullest extent of the law." But, he added: "I will tell you that the unique aspect of the bump stock and how you would literally transform a semi automatic weapon into an automatic weapon is something that bears looking into. And I talked to chairman Grassley of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and I believe that once the investigation is complete and we learn all aspects of what attributed to this event, then we should have a hearing and look into it, and that should include the bump stock, but also any other aspect of this terrible crime that we need to look at from a federal perspective."
Rep. John Culberson R
(District 7)
"The investigation is still underway and it's important that we know the facts before we make any policy decisions," Culberson said in a statement.
Rep. Bill Flores R
(District 17)
"I think they should be banned. There's no reason for a typical gun owner to own anything that converts a semi-automatic to something that behaves like an automatic," Flores told The Hill newspaper. "Based on the videos I heard and saw, and now that I've studied up on what a bump stock is — I didn't know there was such a thing — there's no reason for it." Flores issued a statement Wednesday evening saying: "As a gun owner and a staunch supporter and defender of the Second Amendment, I believe that the recent tragedy in Las Vegas prompts a congressional review of bump stocks and similar devices that allow semiautomatic weapons to behave like automatic weapons, which are currently subject to tight federal licensing requirements."
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee D
(District 18)
"Congresswoman Jackson Lee supports a total ban on the sale of Bump Stocks," a spokesperson told the Tribune.
Rep. Joaquin Castro D
(District 20)
"Rep. Castro supports banning bump stocks," a spokesperson told the Tribune.
Rep. Pete Olson R
(District 22)
"The FBI is investigating the type of weapons used by the shooter and whether they were illegally modified," Olson said in a statement. "If that investigation reveals there were circumstances within the law that are not already addressed, I will evaluate that with my colleagues in order to address those shortcomings."
Rep. Roger Williams R
(District 25)
"When tragedies, such as the Las Vegas shooting, happen in our nation, it is often a knee-jerk reaction from the left to call for Congress to implement more regulations, such as stronger gun control — this is not the answer," Williams said in a statement. "This is still an ongoing investigation and right now our focus needs be on helping the people and law enforcement of Las Vegas in any way that that we can. I have always been a strong supporter of the second amendment, and disarming America, by increasing legislation, will not fix problems like this."
Rep. Henry Cuellar D
(District 28)
"From the attack that wounded Congressman Scalise to the tragedy in Las Vegas, it is clear that gun violence needs to be addressed," Cuellar said in a statement. "When the investigation is completed I will be working with my friends on both sides of the aisle and in both houses to craft commonsense policies to protect Americans and curb gun violence while protecting our Constitutional rights."
Rep. Gene Green D
(District 29)
"I can tell you on record that Congressman Green supports regulations that ban bump stocks and is interested in working with Republicans who want to find a legislative solution," a spokesman told the Tribune.
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson D
(District 30)
"We need to be considering any and all approaches to reducing gun violence in this country. No other developed country in the world experiences the amount of gun violence that we do here in the United States. However, I am not so sure that a ban on bumper stocks would have done anything to prevent the incident in Las Vegas. We need to get at the motives driving these individuals toward violence. Until we do that and take deliberate steps to address those issues, we cannot reasonably expect to see an end to the violence," Johnson said in a statement.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett D
(District 35)
"Apparently this massacre has moved even the NRA to acquiesce in one narrow bump stock provision in order to bump consideration of any other gun safety measures," Doggett said in a statement. "One and done is not enough. Republicans want much more than their pending bill to loosen restrictions on gun silencers. They are still trying to silence full, fair, bipartisan debate on meaningful ways to make our families safer, such as closing the gun show loophole."