Walz: Nation's gun laws 'are not working'

First District Democrat Tim Walz is calling for congressional action following the massacre in Las Vegas that left 59 people dead and hundreds more injured.

"As a lifelong sportsman, I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment," Walz said in a statement. "At the same time, there are common-sense things we can do in Congress to prevent these tragedies from taking innocent lives and we must confront the truth that our current laws are not working."

Rep. Walz says he wants to see Congress pass legislation requiring universal background checks. He’s also calling for a ban on what are called bump stocks.

These accessories — which were used by the Las Vegas shooter — enable a semi-automatic weapon to fire faster. 

The ban has the support of some GOP  members in Congress, and the National Rifle Association said on Thursday that there should be additional regulations on bump stocks.

Walz, who is running for Minnesota governor, was criticized this week by members of his own party for his record on guns. In response, he announced he would donate campaign contributions from the NRA to charity.

Cover photo: Walz on right / Creative Commons

Related 

In 2015, in the wake of other U.S. shooting tragedies, we asked Rep. Walz about his backing from the NRA. Below is his response.