Sen. John Cornyn Says Congress Has 'Gone About As Far As We Can Go' On Gun Legislation

[babylonsister]

Sen. John Cornyn Says Congress Has 'Gone About As Far As We Can Go' On Gun Legislation
In the wake of a Tennessee school shooting, the Texas Republican dismissed calls to ban assault-style weapons as “tired talking points.”
By Marita Vlachou
Mar 28, 2023, 11:25 AM EDT


Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), one of the key Republicans to negotiate a bipartisan gun safety package passed last summer, on Monday addressed calls for additional gun legislation in the wake of a school shooting in Tennessee, saying Congress has “gone about as far as we can go” on measures like background checks.

President Joe Biden pleaded for lawmakers to pass a ban on assault-style weapons and more curbs on firearms after three adults and three children were killed at The Covenant School in Nashville, but Cornyn described his appeals as “tired talking points.”

“I would say we’ve gone about as far as we can go — unless somebody identifies some area that we didn’t address,” Cornyn told reporters when asked about further legislation and background checks specifically.

During an appearance Tuesday on “CNN This Morning,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was “devastating” for the parents who lost their children, and Americans at large, to hear lawmakers state that the country had run out of options on gun safety measures.

“They lost their kids yesterday, and that’s what we’re saying?” Jean-Pierre asked. “We should not be saying there’s nothing else to do. We should be trying to figure out what else there can be to do.”

more...

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/john-cornyn-gun-legislation-tennessee_n_6422deb0e4b0a10577b9bdc7

[Freethinker65]

1. But the same GOP has only begun controlling American Womens' reproductive healthcare decisions.

[tanyev]

17. "And we're just getting started pulling library books off the shelves!"

[durablend]

35. "We're not done with restricting your right to vote either!"

[justhanginon]

2. What he meant was, "about as far as we can go" without losing out

on the campaign contributions from the despicable but loaded with the congress buying off money, money, money gun lobby.

[Blues Heron]

3. We dont have to have these do nothings- vote them out

Get woke peeps - they do not care about your kids.

[eShirl]

4. Then resign.

[spanone]

5. We need to throw these fucking neanderthals out of office

[bullimiami]

14. "We" didn't vote these assholes in. We're trying.

[LonePirate]

26. Much easier said than done. A large chunk of voters are single issue gun voters.

They vote Republican and demand 100% obedience on guns. They do not relent and Republicans bend the knee to those voters.

Short of replicating the 60 Senate seats we held briefly in 2009 or finding some sort combination of filibuster repeal (which would be subject to an overturn under Republican control), we are between a rock and a hard place on this issue. Voters will need to continue to hammer their elected representatives on the subject, especially the majority of us in urban and suburban districts.

[orthoclad]

6. Who funds the NRA?

[Irish_Dem]

16. Putin

[orthoclad]

18. Putin for one

but he's not the only one.

The rich are an international phenomenon. It's happening in Hungary, India, was Brazil, starting in Canada. They use similar means to scare people, stir up nationalism, and yield power to a clique. They meet in Davos yearly.

I think the NRA gets a lot of funding from the Koch empire. Arms manufacturers. Large businesses like Cabela's. But we're in the age of dark money. Some enterprising journalist needs to research this in depth. If they already have, it needs to be shouted from the rooftops.

Capitalism (here and in Russia) gains from fear.

[Irish_Dem]

20. Yes. The question to ask: WHO BENEFITS?

Who benefits from creating a fearful and docile populace?
Who benefits from making the US look foolish, weak and murderous?

[orthoclad]

23. Heh. We don't "look"

foolish, weak and murderous. We ARE foolish, weak and murderous. As a whole.

[Irish_Dem]

25. Yep. As Steve Schmidt keeps saying, the US is in serious moral decay.

[orthoclad]

27. We killed between

400k and a million Iraqis -- for nothing. Nonexistent WMDs.

Over three million people died in SE Asia from the Vietnam war. They're still having birth defects from the toxins we soaked them in. Nonexistent Tonkin Gulf attack. Now US corporations trade with the communist country we fought (and died) so hard to prevent.

Afghanistan had a secular government with full women's rights until we armed the mullahs.

Rinse and repeat.

Much of the world does not take the US seriously when we talk about democracy and rights.

Granted, this is different from the gun-humper issue. But these were instances of collective, regulated gun usage. Used in our collective name. There may be a connection.

[Irish_Dem]

38. Same root cause: Greed, corruption, power.

Yep the US dropped depleted uranium bombs on Bagdad, a city with over 50% women and children.
They will be dealing with toxins for generations.

Sounds like what Putin is doing in Ukraine doesn't it?

[WestMichRad]

7. "I don't care how many kids get killed...

… the cash we get from NRA is more important.”
FIFY

*hole.

[Paladin]

8. John Cornyn, useless as always. (nt)

[Dustlawyer]

9. Take away campaign donations and have publicly funded elections.

Watch what happens after that! No more shadow government of big business.

[3auld6phart]

10. What the Hell

You feuckin’ asshole bastard. That little post turtle chicken shit Bush. destroyed FDRs firearms act of 1930 The act that both parties Dems and republicans agreed to. Unanimously 100%. How
Much Is the NRA paying you pig fucker?? walk the streets of any state or American city. You have to wonder if you will live to the end of the day. Jeez get a life asshole.

[Diamond_Dog]

11. Seems to me

That there’s PLENTY of room to negotiate, being that we now have practically unfettered gun ownership in all red states.

[bullimiami]

12. Tried nothing all out of ideas

[Lovie777]

13. Your cult believes that....................

the majority of Americans do not. Step aside so the caring folks can "fix" it.

[CousinIT]

15. If Americans REALLY want something done about guns THEY NEED TO VOTE OUT REPUBLICANS.

Period.
Full stop.

STOP FUCKING VOTING FOR THOSE PEOPLE!

Ugh.

[orthoclad]

22. It's not the votes, it's the money

and power.

There's a huge propaganda machine worth many billions that's been running full-tilt since Reagan days. There's a huge dark-money machine dedicated to putting bad people in positions of power. The Supreme Court is an example. You know, the court that gave us Citizens United, and led Jimmy Carter to say in 2015 that the US is an oligarchy.

[CousinIT]

34. Most of it goes to Republicans - they are the biggest recipients. Still...

...if they are not voted into office, they'd have no power. Supreme Court is not elected. I'm referring to ELECTED officials, just to clarify.

[orthoclad]

44. Yes, the recipients

are the oiligarch fanbois like Rafael Cruz, and a few notable exceptions like Manchin.

Many years ago, the Shoe cartoon had his drunken Senator stereotype talking to a children's classroom. He asks "What is the great principle of American democracy?" A kid answers "Money talks"." The Sen says "no, no, no, the OTHER one".

This was decades before Citizens United.

[Hortensis]

43. That huge propaganda machine is aimed at THOSE WHO CAN VOTE.

24/7/365. Stoking delusion to encourage people to vote wrong, but most of those TRILLIONS are spent to keep 230 million Americans from believing their vote matters.

And for a little foot-on-the-ground check: who's president?

[Torchlight]

19. "We can't do any more"

"nothing will work!" "Too soon to talk about it!" "This makes us look bad!!!"

To me, these are all implicit table-tells that the speaker lacks good faith and/or honest intentions.

[Javaman]

21. translation: I won't do anything more until you give me more money cough cough donations. nt

[nature-lover]

24. Not as far as we can go, but as far as we want to go. Guns over kids every time.

[ParishPolitique]

28. Why should he say any different? The majority of his voters either agree or don't give a shit.

Plus plenty of NRA money...what incentive has he otherwise?

[babylonsister]

30. Not seeing dead people and kids on tv every week?

Seems that would be an incentive if he gave a shit.

[Beaverhausen]

32. Actually, a majority of people on BOTH SIDES agree with some common sense gun regulations

https://apnews.com/article/gun-violence-covid-health-chicago-c912ecc5619e925c5ea7447d36808715

AP-NORC poll: Most in US say they want stricter gun laws


The poll shows bipartisan majorities of Americans support a nationwide background check policy for all gun sales, a law preventing mentally ill people from purchasing guns, allowing courts to temporarily prevent people who are considered a danger to themselves or others from purchasing a gun, making 21 the minimum age to buy a gun nationwide and banning those who have been convicted of domestic violence from purchasing a gun.

[walkingman]

29. There is only one solution and that is not to re-elect people like Cornyn.

Will the South ever change?

[Beaverhausen]

31. Seriously, what is WRONG with these people?

I can't understand how people can be this heartless.

[Ray Bruns]

33. It's called being a republican.

It didn’t happen to me or someone I know so it’s not a problem.

[republianmushroom]

36. NO, commonsense gun laws can be passed and they do help.

[Caliman73]

39. Exactly.

Even laws which do not ban specific types of firearms can have an immediate effect.

1. Increase and enhance "Red Flag" laws. No firearms for people with convictions or under charges of Domestic Violence and Animal Cruelty. That would take about 40% to 60% of "gun offenders" out of the equation.

2. Increase funding for NICS program and make it MANDATORY for states to get their databases up to date. Make it mandatory for ANY and ALL gun sales, including private transfer to conduct a NICS check with sever penalties for people selling firearms to people who do not pass a background check.

These two laws would have an immediate effect and they are not about banning any firearms.

A third thing that can be done is to have a "Buy back" program with significant incentives for people to sell their firearms back and get guns off the street. Make it worth people's while.

A fourth thing, which is not popular with firearms owners, but is still worthwhile, is to require liability insurance. Also, prohibit the NRA from offering Insurance. They should not be able to make money off more aspects of gun ownership. (I don't think that is actually feasible, but had to get it in there).

[MayReasonRule]

37. Cornyn's A Cornhole, A Horses Patootie, He Opens His Mouth...There's Nothing But Doody...

Butt nuggets of wisdom define his shit-show, a dark cloud of vapors where-ever he goes!!
When his ass-cheeks, flap as he speaks...
All of reason know...

He's feeding his flock the malevolent hate that defines them where 'ere... they go...

[LeftInTX]

40. Get rid of few Republicans and then let's talk

[Martin68]

41. A criminal failure of imagination and political will.

[IcyPeas]

42. these republicans should be personally sued by every family who loses a loved one to guns

they won't do a friggin thing.

they are the cause of this slaughter. sue them.

(I don't know how or if it's possible... I just know that it personally doesn't affect them so they continue to do nothing).