The Floridian sat with Representative Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) to discuss how House Democrats can advance gun reforms while in the minority.
A key strategy, said Rep. Moskowitz, was "to continue to talk about that issue" because the Republican majority is not "moving any bills" regarding mass shootings.
"We need to continue to talk about that issue obviously right now, the majority in the House is not moving any bills. Whether that is school security, or mental health, or anything dealing with guns at all, whether it's AR-15s or background checks, red flag laws, they're moving none of that. So what the Democrats have to do is we have to continue to talk about that issue and have a more sustained effort," Rep. Moskowitz said.
For instance, Rep. Moskowitz and the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force are seeking means to be "more proactive" in regard to mass shootings. While he does say it is impossible to prevent shootings from ever happening.
"It's about mitigating the number of mass shootings we're having," added Moskowitz.
Moreover, Moskowitz supports banning "assault weapons" or raising the minimum age to purchase one.
"Obviously I support an assault weapons ban, but also I'm looking at maybe raising the age to buy an assault weapon, maybe to twenty-five, so that we can continue to reduce assault weapons getting into the hands of kids who then walk into schools," Moskowitz continued," Moskowitz said.
Additionally, mental health issues surrounding mass shooters should be addressed, indirectly referencing the Old National Bank shooting in Kentucky earlier in April.
"We also have to look at the mental health aspect, the fact that folks can have mental health issues, walk into a store, buy an AR-15, and literally walk and shoot up their bank, their former place of employment," said Moskowitz.
He then spoke of Florida's gun reforms in the wake of the Marjorie Stoneman-Douglas shooting, such as red flag laws and raising the age to purchase a firearm, defending the former on the grounds that few would disagree some individuals are not of sound mind to possess a gun, and this does not constitute an infringement on the Second Amendment rights of others.
Finally, while an assault weapons ban would be "the North Star" for Democrats, Moskowitz did say there is more to preventing mass shootings than legislation targeting guns, such as mental health, school security measures, threat assessment, background checks, and red flag laws.
"If we can't get there, that's the North Star, I'm also for doing other things, because everything we do mitigates, right? So more programs for mental health, threat assessment, school resource officers, extended background checks, red flag laws, all of these things. There's not one single idea, not one single thing we can do that will just totally mitigate gun violence. We have to do multiple things because there's multiple problems," Moskowitz concluded.
Rep. Maxwell Frost (D) has also vowed to continue the argument that an assault weapons ban is needed.
"Seeing what happened here in Orlando ... that same heartbreak came out in our city," Rep. Frost said. "My message to the country is this: we don't have to live this way."
