White House Wants To Be ‘Part Of The Discussion’ On Regulating Bump Stocks

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks with reporters during the White House daily press briefing in Washington, DC on Thursday, September 28, 2017. Credit: Alex Edelman / CNP - NO WIRE SERVICE - P... White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks with reporters during the White House daily press briefing in Washington, DC on Thursday, September 28, 2017. Credit: Alex Edelman / CNP - NO WIRE SERVICE - Photo by: Alex Edelman/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images MORE LESS
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White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday that the White House would be “open” to reviewing the regulatory or legal status of bump stocks following the shooting in Las Vegas on Sunday that left 59 dead and hundreds wounded.

Several bump stocks, which are used to modify semi-automatic rifles in order to emulate the firing rate of fully automatic weapons, were found in the alleged shooter’s hotel room.

“Does the President support legislation that would ban or regulate bump stocks?” a reporter asked Sanders at a press briefing Thursday.

Sanders initially responded that “right now our focus over the last couple days has been on healing and uniting the country,” and “the investigation still continues to be in very early stages.”

But, she said, “We know that members of both parties and multiple organizations are planning to take a look at bump stocks and related devices.”

“We certainly welcome that and would like to be part of that conversation,” Sanders continued. “We would like to see a clear understanding of the facts and we’d like to see input from the victims’ families, from law enforcement, from policymakers.”

She said the White House wanted “to be part of that discussion” and that “we’re certainly open to that moving forward.”

The National Rifle Association came out in favor of reviewing the regulatory status of bump stocks Thursday, as have a handful of Republican lawmakers who have said since Sunday that the devices should be more heavily regulated or even outlawed.

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