White House Cautious Over Bipartisan Bill To Raise Age For Assault Weapon Purchases
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBSMiami) -- A group of students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas continued their push for new gun control laws Tuesday.
The students spent the day meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. They're survivors of the school shooting nearly two weeks ago which sparked a national debate on gun control.
"We in Congress, Democrats and Republicans, owe it to these students to act, and act in a real and significant way," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D-NY) Minority Leader.
Congressman Steve Scalise, who is also a victim of gun violence, focused on the personal aspects of his meeting with the kids.
"We talked about policy, but really we talked a lot about shared experience. Obviously, it got very emotional. Some of the things that they've been through are very similar to some of the things that I've been through," said Rep. Scalise, (R-LA) Majority Whip.
Republican leaders say they'll focus on fixing the background check system - not big gun control laws.
"We've been down this path before. There are bipartisan differences about how to address this issue that have continually snagged every effort," said Sen. Mitch McConnell, (R-KY) Majority Leader.
Democrats are pointing fingers at Republicans to step up and do something, even if it goes against the NRA.
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy will be part of a group of bipartisan congressmen talking about gun violence at the White House on Wednesday.
"The public is demanding real action and my hope is the President will lead his party to the point where we can get something important and meaningful done," said Sen. Chris Murphy, (D) Connecticut.
President Donald Trump insists something needs to be done to stop school shootings but so far, lawmakers have yet to find common ground solutions.
Reforming gun laws on the state level is more likely than on Capitol Hill, but one Georgia lawmaker has made his stance clear. The Republican President of the state Senate threatened to "kill any tax legislation that benefits Delta" after the airline stopped providing discounts to NRA members.