On Sunday a somber Dick Durbin said the nation is in mourning in the wake of last week’s mass shooting in Newtown, Conn.
Then the Democratic U.S. Senator from Illinois told Fox News Sunday host, Chris Wallace, it’s time to think about whether people should be able to buy assault rifles, body armor and high-capacity clips.
“Can we have a thoughtful, calm reflection on these things and do it in the context of our second amendment?” Durbin asked. “I think we need to.”
Durbin also told Wallace that it’s time to discuss the constitutional underpinnings of regulating gun purchases.
“I’m going to be holding a hearing after the first of the year, in about two weeks or so, on this constitutional question,” Durbin said. “That’s the starting point. The Supreme Court raised questions, what are the protections, what are the responsibilities? Let’s spell this out. And let’s try to do this in a thoughtful way and move forward together, that’s what we need.”
On Saturday, Missouri Republican U.S. Senator Roy Blunt echoed Durbin’s reflection that the nation is in mourning, but he said stricter gun laws are unlikely to prevent similar shootings.
Instead, Blunt said that prevention should start by bolstering mental health services.
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