Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips is sending sharp criticism towards his Republican colleagues following Tuesday's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 children and two adults dead.
In a tweet after the shooting, Rep. Phillips wrote, "I’m a gun owner. Do not tell me our Founders conceived of this carnage when they wrote the Constitution. Do not tell me they would have tolerated this madness. Do not tell me that teachers must be armed. And do not tell me your AR15 is worth more than another 14 children’s lives."
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Phillips joined Vineeta Sawkar during the WCCO Radio Morning News on Wednesday to share his thoughts on what needs to be done in the wake of another horrific mass shooting.
"The America that I know and love is the America that identifies a problem, acknowledges that this is an epidemic of violence, and does something about it," Phillips said. "I speak for gun owners and non-gun owners when I say it's time to stop the bickering, these defensive positions, and identify solutions."
One of those solutions, according to Phillips, is HR8. The Bipartisan Background Checks Act was originally introduced in 2019 and passed the House on March 11, 2021 by a vote of 227 to 203.
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One Democrat voted against the bill while eight Republicans voted in favor of it.
"I try to be a very bipartisan member of congress, but I have to, at least on this issue, call out some of my colleagues across the aisle," he said. "They are standing in the way of a policy that just about every American supports."
HR8, which has not received a vote in the Senate, looks to establish new background check requirements. All firearms sales and transfers in the U.S. would require background checks.
The bill would also prohibit the transfer of a firearm between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check.
"There are ways to address these issue, so we start by studying it," added Phillips. "We look at the assault weapon ban that was in place until 2004, we employ background checks, we disarm domestic abusers, we increase red flag laws, we make extreme risk protection orders available in every state, we invest in local violence prevention and intervention programs, and we invest in young people who are clearly, clearly struggling."