Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) told CNN’s Dana Bash Sunday that the U.S. government should consider barring money from law enforcement agencies that will not enforce state and national gun laws.
The comments were made when Murphy was speaking on the recent shooting at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub.
“They’ve decided that they’re going to essentially refuse to implement laws that are on the books. That is a growing problem in this country,” he said during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“And I think we’re going to have to have a conversation about that in the United States Senate. Do we want to continue to supply funding to law enforcement in counties that refuse to implement state and federal gun laws?”
Democrat Senator Chris Murphy says "we have to have a conversation about whether we can continue to fund law enforcement" in counties and states which have declared themselves "Second Amendment sanctuaries." pic.twitter.com/TxFbuAulDa
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 27, 2022
Some groups of law enforcement around the country have expressed resistance to new laws that further restrict gun rights. A group of sheriffs in El Paso County, where the Colorado Springs shooting took place, have reportedly labeled their jurisdiction a ‘Second Amendment Preservation County,’ refusing to entertain red flag laws put in place by the state.
White House occupant Joe Biden told reporters last week that he will try to ban so-called “assault weapons” before the new Congress convenes after the beginning of the year, complaining he is “sick and tired of these shootings.”
Biden’s use of the term “assault weapons” is nonsensical and likely meant to confuse Americans. Any weapon can be used to assault somebody, therefore rendering the term meaningless. The White House occupant is most likely referring to semi-automatic rifles in his usage of the term.
“The idea that we still allow semiautomatic weapons to be purchased is sick. It’s just sick. It has no, no social redeeming value. Zero. None. Not a single, solitary rationale for it except profit for the gun manufacturers,” Biden said during a visit with first responders at the Massachusetts Nantucket Fire Department on Thanksgiving Day.
Murphy indicated that he does not believe the Senate will reach the 60 votes needed in order to pass an arguably unconstitutional ‘assault weapons’ ban.
“I’m glad that President Biden is gonna be pushing us to take a vote on an assault weapons ban,” he said to CNN.
“The House has already passed it. It’s sitting in front of the Senate. Does it have 60 votes in the Senate right now? Probably not. But let’s see if we can try to get that number as close to 60 as possible. If we don’t have the votes, then we’ll talk to [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer and maybe come back next year, with maybe an additional senator, and see if we can do better,” he stated.
