WASHINGTON (Nexstar) — The mayor of a city hit hard by recent gun violence is pleading with Congress to do more to stop mass shootings.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley is pushing Congress to pass an assault weapons ban, but opponents are pushing back just as hard. She spared no grisly detail as she told the House Judiciary Committee about the aftermath of her city’s August mass shooting.
“And the thing I remember most clearly, is the smell of bleach. A street sweeper was being used to try to clean the roads, and men in hazmat suits were scrubbing the sidewalks,” said Whaley. “The shooting occurred nearly two months ago, but our sidewalks are still stained.”
Whaley wants to see some kind of gun control measure passed, including an assault weapons ban.
“It would make a great difference, so there wont be cities like Dayton that have experienced this kind of trauma,” said Whaley.
Opponents on the committee, like Ohio Republican Jim Jordan said an assault weapons ban isn’t the answer, and that it would unfairly target legal gun owners.
“What this legislation will do is make it more difficult for law abiding people to protect themselves,” said Rep. Jordan.
Others, like Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin, say something must happen soon.
“These are our people, these are American citizens who are being shot down,” said Rep. Raskin.
Tuesday morning, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “The president called me this morning about gun violence, he said we were getting close to a solution.”
But, with the house now dealing with the impeachment inquiry, it’s not clear whether that solution is still close.
