Deutch open to "tweaks" to House background check bill

With the recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, not to mention the thousands of yearly deaths attributed to gun violence, the issue of gun violence is not going to go away quietly.

During a Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America press conference in Coral Springs, Florida, Democratic U.S. Reps. Ted Deutch and Donna Shalala continued their push to pass common-sense gun legislation and to press the U.S. Senate to take up and pass their House approved Bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R 8).

Deutch and Shalala are frustrated that the Senate has been dragging their feet on addressing the background check bill, even as President Trump himself has called for more restrictive background checks and “Red flag” laws.

Both of Florida’s Republican U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott have openly said that they support background checks and “red flag” laws to help prevent guns getting into the hands of criminals and mentally and emotionally challenged individuals.

Rep. Deutch doesn’t understand why the Senate has not moved on the House measure that passed 6 months ago, a bill that he believes “is the right approach” and will “help save lives.”

Deutch told The Floridian that he is open to working with President Trump and Sens. Rubio and Scott to find common ground on gun violence legislation.

“I am willing to work with the two of them and the president as closely as we can to get these things done,” said Deutch “I want Senator Rubio and Senator Scott to take the president at his word to say that we need this and advocate with moving forward with legislation that we already passed.” .

According to Deutch, he is open to discussing “modifications or tweaks” to the House background check bill.

“If our senators want to talk about modifications or tweaks that they think need to be made, then let's sit down and do it,” said Deutch