Sen. Coons: ‘I’m Not Supportive’ of Mandatory Buyback Program

HARLOW Let s talk ░░░░░░░░ guns You re very ░░░░░░░░ in these talks in ░░░░░░░░ I think you just ░░░░░░░░ to Senator Manchin You ░░░░░░░░ talked multiple times with ░░░░░░░░ Trump The front of ░░░░░░░░ business section of The ░░░░░░░░ York Times today is ░░░░░░░░ out that letter from ░░░░░░░░ CEOs calling on you ░░░░░░░░ in the Senate to ░░░░░░░░ something What is going ░░░░░░░░ happen Are we going ░░░░░░░░ see red flag laws ░░░░░░░░ Because we just still ░░░░░░░░ no clarity from the ░░░░░░░░ and the White House ░░░░░░░░ this COONS I really ░░░░░░░░ that our president will ░░░░░░░░ this as an opportunity ░░░░░░░░ moment that calls for ░░░░░░░░ leadership from him The ░░░░░░░░ in the Senate have ░░░░░░░░ indicated they re not ░░░░░░░░ to take one step ░░░░░░░░ if they don t ░░░░░░░░ cover from the President ░░░░░░░░ House Democratic majority sent ░░░░░░░░ bipartisan background check bill ░░░░░░░░ us six months ago ░░░░░░░░ should take that up ░░░░░░░░ vote on it 93 ░░░░░░░░ Americans And that includes ░░░░░░░░ majority of Republicans a ░░░░░░░░ of gun owners support ░░░░░░░░ background checks I have ░░░░░░░░ bill with Republican senator ░░░░░░░░ Toomey of Pennsylvania that ░░░░░░░░ say if you go ░░░░░░░░ a gun store and ░░░░░░░░ re a person prohibited ░░░░░░░░ law from owning a ░░░░░░░░ convicted felon adjudicated mentally ░░░░░░░░ and you lie on ░░░░░░░░ background check form and ░░░░░░░░ to buy a gun ░░░░░░░░ law enforcement should be ░░░░░░░░ notified That s the ░░░░░░░░ of bill that has ░░░░░░░░ embraced by folks Republican ░░░░░░░░ Democrat I expect and ░░░░░░░░ it will be part ░░░░░░░░ a White House package ░░░░░░░░ also think to your ░░░░░░░░ Poppy we may well ░░░░░░░░ an emergency risk protection ░░░░░░░░ proposal That s the ░░░░░░░░ of thing Rick Scott ░░░░░░░░ senator from Florida signed ░░░░░░░░ law as governor We ░░░░░░░░ one here in Delaware ░░░░░░░░ think we ve got ░░░░░░░░ in states like Delaware ░░░░░░░░ recently met with Moms ░░░░░░░░ Action a group that ░░░░░░░░ the most powerful and ░░░░░░░░ testimonies about how having ░░░░░░░░ own children in school ░░░░░░░░ through active shooter drills ░░░░░░░░ the first week of ░░░░░░░░ breaks their hearts As ░░░░░░░░ as Americans we have ░░░░░░░░ do better at protecting ░░░░░░░░ country HARLOW And what ░░░░░░░░ senator what we heard ░░░░░░░░ congressman Beto O Rourke ░░░░░░░░ night I ll quote ░░░░░░░░ Hell yes we are ░░░░░░░░ to take your AR ░░░░░░░░ your AK 47s Are ░░░░░░░░ supportive of a mandatory ░░░░░░░░ program for all of ░░░░░░░░ weapons all of those ░░░░░░░░ rifles on America s ░░░░░░░░ right now COONS I ░░░░░░░░ not And I frankly ░░░░░░░░ that that clip will ░░░░░░░░ played for years at ░░░░░░░░ Amendment rallies with organizations ░░░░░░░░ try to scare people ░░░░░░░░ saying Democrats are coming ░░░░░░░░ your guns I m ░░░░░░░░ gun owner My sons ░░░░░░░░ I have gone skeet ░░░░░░░░ and hunting and frankly ░░░░░░░░ don t think having ░░░░░░░░ presidential candidates like congressman ░░░░░░░░ Rourke did say that ░░░░░░░░ re going to try ░░░░░░░░ take people s guns ░░░░░░░░ their will is a ░░░░░░░░ either policy or political ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW Did he hurt ░░░░░░░░ party senator COONS I ░░░░░░░░ and understand HARLOW Did ░░░░░░░░ hurt the party and ░░░░░░░░ fight with that statement ░░░░░░░░ night Was it irresponsible ░░░░░░░░ We ll have to ░░░░░░░░ I respect his passion ░░░░░░░░ who has had to ░░░░░░░░ with the parents of ░░░░░░░░ of gun violence parents ░░░░░░░░ have lost their children ░░░░░░░░ I have after the ░░░░░░░░ Hook shooting after the ░░░░░░░░ shooting parents someone who ░░░░░░░░ a high school classmate ░░░░░░░░ mine lost his daughter ░░░░░░░░ that tragic shooting in ░░░░░░░░ where congresswoman Gabby Giffords ░░░░░░░░ also shot To sit ░░░░░░░░ a parent who has ░░░░░░░░ a child and have ░░░░░░░░ answer about how we ░░░░░░░░ going to make the ░░░░░░░░ safer is a very ░░░░░░░░ experience So I respect ░░░░░░░░ is motivating congressman O ░░░░░░░░ but I don t ░░░░░░░░ as a policy position ░░░░░░░░ s going to stand ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ majority of the Senate ░░░░░░░░ the country is going ░░░░░░░░ embrace mandatory buybacks We ░░░░░░░░ to focus on what ░░░░░░░░ can get done And ░░░░░░░░ need to focus on ░░░░░░░░ challenge here which is ░░░░░░░░ majority leader Mitch McConnell ░░░░░░░░ the Republicans in the ░░░░░░░░ and our president are ░░░░░░░░ to listen to the ░░░░░░░░ of Americans who want ░░░░░░░░ to do something on ░░░░░░░░ checks Let s get ░░░░░░░░ done first HARLOW Senator ░░░░░░░░ Coons thank you for ░░░░░░░░ Come back We ll ░░░░░░░░ talking about this issue ░░░░░░░░ really appreciate your time ░░░░░░░░ morning.”