The congressional response to the Republican baseball practice shooting hasn’t been to consider the issue of gun violence in America, but to ask taxpayers for more money for their own security.
The Washington Post reported, “In the wake of Wednesday’s shooting, lawmakers are pushing to be allowed to use taxpayer funds to boost security at their personal homes and during events in their districts.”
Since the House is dominated by the Republican majority, and The Washington Post story quotes Republicans who are worried about their own security, it is easy to figure out where this drive for taxpayer dollars is coming from.
Members of Congress got a dose of the gun violence epidemic plaguing America, and their first thought was not that they needed to take a serious look at the issue to see if there is anything that can be done from a policy perspective. Nope, the first thought that went through their minds is that they better get the taxpayers to pony up more case for personal security.
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The 93 Americans each day who die as a result of gun violence don’t have the luxury of hitting up the taxpayers for more security. Gun violence is a cultural problem in the United States. Legislation alone won’t solve the issue, but it should be a part of any solution.
Republicans in Congress need to understand that give us more money so that we can feel safer is not an acceptable answer.
Americans in Congress and all walks of life shouldn’t have to live with the threat of gun violence. Throwing more taxpayer money at security is the Republican way of telling the American people that they are never going to fix the real problem and that the possibility of getting gunned down is just a fact of life in the United States of America.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
