Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) told Fox News Tuesday that he doubts Congress will have time for gun violence legsislation this term. But he said he’s ready to battle the push for new gun regulations should the time be found.
“I don’t expect that they will,” Rubio said when asked by Fox host Bill Hemmer if Congress had time for guns. “I understand the issue of people raising it and why they’re raising it given the environment that we’re in given the aftermath of a horrible tragedy. Gun laws are very ineffective in terms of lowering crime and violence in America. No gun laws have ever worked to accomplish that. Some of the places in this country with the strictest gun laws have the most violence. Let’s have that debate, we’re more than happy to point that out.”
Rubio is one of the lead proponents of new immigration reform legislation, just one of the many thorny issues Congress has on its plate in the wake of President Obama’s re-election. He’s not the first Republican to suggest a crowded calendar could push gun control off the agenda. Earlier this month, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said fights over the budget will prevent the Senate from addressing gun violence “early” in the term. Proponents of new gun legislation have said the closer to Newtown the legislative push begins, the better chance it will result in new law.
Here’s Rubio:
