Rep. James Comer: ‘We Already Have Many Gun Laws on the Books’

Todd Joining me now ░░░░░░░░ Congressman James Comer of ░░░░░░░░ He s currently the ░░░░░░░░ member on House Oversight ░░░░░░░░ he s hoping to ░░░░░░░░ the next chair of ░░░░░░░░ Oversight Committee in the ░░░░░░░░ Congress Congressman Comer has ░░░░░░░░ Kentucky s 1st District ░░░░░░░░ to Paducah for those ░░░░░░░░ you wondering since 2016 ░░░░░░░░ this is his first ░░░░░░░░ joining the program Congressman ░░░░░░░░ welcome to Meet the ░░░░░░░░ sir COMER Good morning ░░░░░░░░ Todd Look I wanted ░░░░░░░░ talk to you about ░░░░░░░░ your agenda s going ░░░░░░░░ be in a couple ░░░░░░░░ but I want to ░░░░░░░░ you on guns I ░░░░░░░░ what your personal position ░░░░░░░░ here Is there any ░░░░░░░░ law that you d ░░░░░░░░ to see stricter when ░░░░░░░░ comes to the purchases ░░░░░░░░ weapons COMER I mean ░░░░░░░░ already have many gun ░░░░░░░░ on the books If ░░░░░░░░ a bill would simply ░░░░░░░░ gun violence then I ░░░░░░░░ you would have overwhelming ░░░░░░░░ in Congress for that ░░░░░░░░ s like saying Congress ░░░░░░░░ pass a bill that ░░░░░░░░ inflation that didn t ░░░░░░░░ inflation So you know ░░░░░░░░ bills doesn t solve ░░░░░░░░ problems We have as ░░░░░░░░ Youngkin said a mental ░░░░░░░░ crisis in America and ░░░░░░░░ think there s overwhelming ░░░░░░░░ support to fund better ░░░░░░░░ health programs and try ░░░░░░░░ increase communication between law ░░░░░░░░ agencies and social services ░░░░░░░░ to try to better ░░░░░░░░ these troubled people before ░░░░░░░░ commit crimes Todd How ░░░░░░░░ you suggest we go ░░░░░░░░ preventing mentally unstable folks ░░░░░░░░ purchasing guns if we ░░░░░░░░ t have a waiting ░░░░░░░░ or don t have ░░░░░░░░ classifications for certain weapons ░░░░░░░░ there a way to ░░░░░░░░ this COMER Well that ░░░░░░░░ something that Congress is ░░░░░░░░ m sure going to ░░░░░░░░ It s been discussed ░░░░░░░░ entire six years I ░░░░░░░░ been in Congress It ░░░░░░░░ very difficult You know ░░░░░░░░ number one priority with ░░░░░░░░ to crime in America ░░░░░░░░ Republicans is going to ░░░░░░░░ the fentanyl crisis We ░░░░░░░░ about terrible gun crimes ░░░░░░░░ America but we ve ░░░░░░░░ over 100 000 deaths ░░░░░░░░ of fentanyl pouring across ░░░░░░░░ border which is unsecured ░░░░░░░░ now That s going ░░░░░░░░ be the top priority ░░░░░░░░ Republicans come January Todd ░░░░░░░░ understand that but these ░░░░░░░░ nobody wants to see ░░░░░░░░ I mean it does ░░░░░░░░ as if we talk ░░░░░░░░ the individual freedom of ░░░░░░░░ to be able to ░░░░░░░░ have the right to ░░░░░░░░ arms people want to ░░░░░░░░ the individual freedom to ░░░░░░░░ at Walmart without fear ░░░░░░░░ getting shot So I ░░░░░░░░ is there is there ░░░░░░░░ place any room I ░░░░░░░░ what your position is ░░░░░░░░ room to allow had ░░░░░░░░ had a waiting period ░░░░░░░░ the Walmart shooter it ░░░░░░░░ possible three days he ░░░░░░░░ ve calmed down or ░░░░░░░░ might ve found something ░░░░░░░░ in his past and ░░░░░░░░ doesn t get the ░░░░░░░░ COMER Well Chuck you ░░░░░░░░ about this a lot ░░░░░░░░ Meet the Press but ░░░░░░░░ you look at cities ░░░░░░░░ have the most strict ░░░░░░░░ laws like Washington D ░░░░░░░░ Chicago these are the ░░░░░░░░ with the highest rate ░░░░░░░░ crimes committed with guns ░░░░░░░░ you know just simply ░░░░░░░░ more bills isn t ░░░░░░░░ to solve the problem ░░░░░░░░ think we need to ░░░░░░░░ serious about law enforcement ░░░░░░░░ need to invest in ░░░░░░░░ law enforcement And again ░░░░░░░░ need to invest in ░░░░░░░░ health and try to ░░░░░░░░ communication between our social ░░░░░░░░ as well as our ░░░░░░░░ enforcement Todd Right I ░░░░░░░░ heard this talking point ░░░░░░░░ gun laws in cities ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ you realize this the ░░░░░░░░ that have the most ░░░░░░░░ laws have the least ░░░░░░░░ of per capita gun ░░░░░░░░ and the states with ░░░░░░░░ least amount of gun ░░░░░░░░ seem to have the ░░░░░░░░ I m showing it ░░░░░░░░ on screen I don ░░░░░░░░ know if you can ░░░░░░░░ it here So there ░░░░░░░░ a correlation If you ░░░░░░░░ more gun laws on ░░░░░░░░ books as a state ░░░░░░░░ have fewer gun related ░░░░░░░░ gun related deaths That ░░░░░░░░ been proven statistically COMER ░░░░░░░░ in places like rural ░░░░░░░░ where just about every ░░░░░░░░ household exercises their Second ░░░░░░░░ rights there aren t ░░░░░░░░ lot of crimes in ░░░░░░░░ areas And I think ░░░░░░░░ reason is because potential ░░░░░░░░ know that these people ░░░░░░░░ exercising their Second Amendment ░░░░░░░░ So this is something ░░░░░░░░ s indoctrinated in our ░░░░░░░░ this is something that ░░░░░░░░ hold you know close ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ to protect our Second ░░░░░░░░ rights but while at ░░░░░░░░ same time we want ░░░░░░░░ get serious about crime ░░░░░░░░ America the fentanyl crisis ░░░░░░░░ well as the looting ░░░░░░░░ s taking place in ░░░░░░░░ We believe that we ░░░░░░░░ more law enforcement and ░░░░░░░░ need to respect the ░░░░░░░░ enforcement We need to ░░░░░░░░ prosecutors that are serious ░░░░░░░░ prosecuting and not letting ░░░░░░░░ off in the name ░░░░░░░░ criminal justice So these ░░░░░░░░ issues that are going ░░░░░░░░ be debated early on ░░░░░░░░ the new Republican majority.”