Maine shooting changes Congress member’s mind on ‘assault rifle’ ban, but not the math in Washington

“THE PROBLEM IS THE HUMAN HEART. IT’S NOT GUNS.”

Mike Johnson, a Republican who took on the House’s top role of Speaker earlier this week, appeared to close the door on any effort.

“The problem is the human heart. It’s not guns. It’s not the weapons,” Johnson said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday night when asked about calls for more legislation.

“We have to protect the right of the citizens to protect themselves, and that’s the Second Amendment. And that’s why our party stands so strongly for that … this is not the time to be talking about legislation,” he said.

Democrats, with the support of anti-gun violence groups, have tried for years to renew a federal ban on assault-style weapons, which was first imposed in 1994 and expired in 2004.

The US Constitution’s Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms. Republicans, with the financial support of a powerful gun rights lobby, largely oppose restrictions on gun ownership.

Opinion polls show a majority of Americans favour tighter gun restrictions such as background checks and “red flag” laws, aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of people believed to be a danger to themselves or others, but are more evenly split on assault-style rifle bans.

The US has seen multiple massacres involving assault-style weapons in recent years. Biden, who is running for reelection in 2024, is expected to make proposals to tighten gun laws a key component of his campaign.

Last year, Congress passed the first significant gun control legislation in three decades. The bipartisan measure tightened background checks for would-be gun buyers convicted of domestic violence or significant crimes as juveniles.

It came as the US Supreme Court broadly expanded gun rights by ruling Americans have a constitutional right to carry handguns in public for self-defence.

For any assault-style weapons ban to pass in the future, Democrats would need to win a majority in the 435-seat House and win more seats in the 100-member Senate, which they currently control 51-49.