Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said during a Sunday interview that she supports an “immediate assault weapon ban.”
The comments were made during an in-studio appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” with host Jake Tapper. The issue of gun control took center stage over the weekend at the New Hampshire Democratic Party convention, where 2020 hopeful Beto O’Rourke said he would implement a mandatory federal gun-buyback program.
Both Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) support the idea.
“What I support is an immediate assault weapon ban so we can’t keep purchasing them. In a number of these mass shootings, the perpetrators—the murderers—have actually gone out in the last year, the last two years, and got some online,” Klobuchar said during her Sunday interview.
“So to me that would be the most immediately smart thing to do,” she continued, noting that she would “look at a voluntary buyback,” rather than a mandatory one like O’Rourke has proposed.
“The other thing I would do is get the magazine limitations in place. Those things are going to make a big difference. You can’t do these other things unless you put in the assault weapon ban because they’re going to keep buying them,” Klobuchar added.
She concluded by saying the “most important thing” is for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to bring the gun-control bills on his desk up for a vote in the Senate.
“Show some leadership. Let these bills come up. The House passed them with some Republican support,” she said to McConnell.
At the end of the interview, Klobuchar was asked about Rep. Tim Ryan’s (D-OH-13) recent claim that former Vice President Joe Biden lacks the “energy” and “clarity” to beat President Donald Trump.
“I’m running my own campaign and I think one of the reasons we have these debates is so that people can make those assessments themselves. The vice president has broad experience and we all know that. I think it’s just time—we’re going to have to see which candidate emerges. I don’t think I’m in the place to comment. It’s for the voters to decide this,” she said.
“But I’ll make my case: I have a lot of energy. I’m someone that never stops working,” she added.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
