The president’s new gun control proposal is already being received largely along partisan lines on Capitol Hill. Matt Laslo reports that reactions from the Florida congressional delegation are telling of how lawmakers across the U.S. are reacting.
Within minutes of President Obama unveiling his new gun-control proposal, Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio shot out a press release rejecting the proposal in its entirety. Part of it reads: “Nothing the President is proposing would have stopped the massacre at Sandy Hook.”
Democrats are singing a different tune. South Florida Congresswoman Lois Frankel is echoing the president’s call for stricter gun laws.
“I believe Congress should step up to the plate and pass meaningful legislation”, said Frankel.
So with Congress divided, can anything get done? Frankel says she’ll take any reforms Republicans can support.
“I never take the all or nothing approach", Frankel said. "I think every step we take is going to help somebody stay alive.”
Both sides of the gun debate are deploying lobbyists on Capitol Hill, and most aren’t expecting this Congress to make any drastic changes to the nation’s gun laws.