The string of mass shootings around the country, several of them have occurred in Texas, has pushed the gun violence debate to the forefront of American politics.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) appeared on ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos to discuss the gun violence issue, where the sophomore senator called on the U.S. Congress to pass is Grassley-Cruz bill, a bipartisan measure that according to his legislative office, “strengthens background checks by targeting felons, fugitives, and people with dangerous mental illnesses.”
Appalled by the recent mass shootings in his home state, Sen. Cruz stated that more needed to be done to “strengthen background checks.
We’ve seen too damn many of these in the state of Texas,” said Cruz “So we need to end them.”
Cruz’s bill was first introduced and received bipartisan support in 2013 in the Democratic-controlled Senate, but according to Cruz, Democrats “filibustered it.”
“It got enormous bipartisan support,” said Cruz “But sadly, Harry Reid and the Democrats filibustered it, which was a cynical decision. What we need to do right now - we need to take up Grassley-Cruz and pass it so we can stop these felons and fugitives and people with dangerous mental illness from getting guns and committing these horrific crimes.”
Cruz added that he has already asked President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to support this bill.
