Here & Now

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin Pushes Gun Control Legislation

AT A PBS TOWN HALL ON GUN VIOLENCE EARLIER THIS MONTH, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAD PROPHETIC WORDS OF FRUSTRATION REGARDING WHO CAN LEGALLY PURCHASE FIREARMS.

BARACK OBAMA:

I’VE GOT PEOPLE WHO WE KNOW HAVE BEEN ON ISIL WEBSITES LIVING HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. U.S. CITIZENS. AND WE’RE ALLOWED TO PUT THEM ON THE NO-FLY LIST WHEN IT COMES TO AIRLINES, BUT BECAUSE OF THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION, I CANNOT PROHIBIT THOSE PEOPLE FROM BUYING A GUN.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THOUGH NOT ON THE WATCH LIST, THE GUNMAN IN LAST WEEKEND’S MASS SHOOTING IN ORLANDO HAD BEEN INTERVIEWED BY THE FBI BECAUSE OF SUSPECTED TIES TO ISIS. AND HE PLEDGED HIS ALLEGIANCE TO THE TERROR GROUP EVEN IN THE MIDST OF HIS RAMPAGE AT A GAY BAR IN THAT CITY. FOLLOWING THIS LATEST CARNAGE AND THE SAN BERNADINO SHOOTING, MANY DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS ARE CALLING TO CLOSE THE SO-CALLED TERROR GAP WHEN IT COMES TO PURCHASING GUNS. AMONG THOSE, WISCONSIN U.S. SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN, WHO JOINS US NOW. AND THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

TAMMY BALDWIN:

THANK YOU.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NOW MORE ON THIS PROPOSED LEGISLATION IN A MOMENT, BUT NOW SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THIS MASS SHOOTING IN ORLANDO, AS A MEMBER OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, HOW ARE YOU PROCESSING WHAT HAPPENED?

TAMMY BALDWIN:

IT’S JUST HORRIFIC. IT’S SIMPLY HORRIFIC. I JUXTAPOSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KICK OFF PRIDE FEST IN MILWAUKEE THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE MASSACRE AND THE CELEBRATION OF HOW FAR WE’VE COME IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY TO FIGHT BULLYING AND DISCRIMINATION. AND VIOLENCE TURNED ON MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. AND THEN TO WAKE UP SUNDAY MORNING TO THIS DEVASTATING NEWS, THE WORST GUN VIOLENCE IN MODERN U.S. HISTORY. AND TO TAKE IN THE FACT THAT THIS WAS A U.S. CITIZEN, INSPIRED BY TERRORISTS, WHO LEGALLY PURCHASED A WEAPON OF WAR AND TURNED IT ON THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES AMERICA HAS TO WAKE UP TO STORIES OF KILLINGS IN SCHOOLS, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, IN THEATERS, IN NIGHTCLUBS UNTIL WE TAKE ACTION. AND SO WHILE MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS TRULY ARE WITH THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, THEY ARE NOT ENOUGH, AND WE NEED TO ACT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND SO YOU WERE PART OF THE SENATE DEMOCRATS’ FILIBUSTER THIS WEEK OVER GUN CONTROL, READING ALOUD THE NAMES OF THE ORLANDO VICTIMS AND TELLING THEIR STORIES. BUT ALSO CALLING SPECIFICALLY TO BAN PEOPLE ON THE GOVERNMENT’S TERRORIST WATCH LIST FROM OBTAINING GUN LICENSES AND TO EXPAND BACKGROUND CHECKS TO GUN SHOWS AND INTERNET SALES. WHAT KIND OF TRACTION IS THIS GETTING AT WEEK’S END FROM REPUBLICANS?

TAMMY BALDWIN:

WELL, FIRST LET’S STOP AND JUST CLEARLY TALK ABOUT THIS. NO ONE IS PROPOSING TAKING AWAY ANYBODY’S GUNS. THAT’S NOT WHAT THIS DISCUSSION IS ABOUT, AND I AM A SOLID SUPPORTER OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT, A GUN OWNER MYSELF. THAT SAID, CLEARLY WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THESE WEAPONS OF WAR, WE OUGHT TO BE MAKING SURE THAT NOBODY WHO IS ON THE TERROR WATCH LIST OR, FOR THAT MATTER, SOMEBODY WHO HAS COMMITTED A HATE CRIME, IS ABLE TO PASS THAT BACKGROUND CHECK. AND THE FBI NEEDS TO BE EMPOWERED WITH THE ABILITY TO MAKE THEM INELIGIBLE FOR A GUN PURCHASE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SPECIFIC TO THE ORLANDO SHOOTER, THOUGH, WHILE HE HAD BEEN ON THE WATCH LIST, HE WAS REMOVED, SO IT WOULDN’T HAVE PREVENTED HIS PURCHASE.

TAMMY BALDWIN:

YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MASS VIOLENCE THAT HAS OCCURRED IN THE UNITED STATES, IT IS CLEAR THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE GREATER TOOLS TO GET AT THIS. AND SO THERE’S TWO THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN. OBVIOUSLY WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE TERROR GAP. I ADDED THAT WE SHOULD ADD PEOPLE CONVICTED OF HATE CRIMES. BUT WE ALSO NEED TO SHUT DOWN THE BACKGROUND CHECK LOOPHOLE. IN OTHER WORDS, ALMOST, I HEAR, 40% OF PURCHASES HAPPEN OUTSIDE LOCATIONS WHERE THEY WOULD BE SUBJECT TO A BACKGROUND CHECK. AND THAT MAY BE INTERNET PURCHASES, THAT MAY BE AT GUN SHOWS. BUT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE SUBJECTED TO THIS TIME-TESTED BACKGROUND CHECK.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT CHECKS ARE THERE IN PLACE THAT WOULD PREVENT PEOPLE ERRONEOUSLY ON THE NO-FLY LIST, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM BEING BARRED FROM PURCHASING WEAPONS?

TAMMY BALDWIN:

RIGHT. SO THAT’S SUCH AN IMPORTANT QUESTION, GIVEN THAT THE SECOND AMENDMENT IS A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT, AND THEREFORE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF SOMEBODY IS ERRONEOUSLY ON ANY OF THESE LISTS, THAT THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIGHT BACK AND EXERCISE DUE PROCESS. SO THE NO-FLY LIST, WHICH IS A SMALLER PART OF THE TERRORIST WATCH LIST, THERE’S WAYS TO DO THAT. OBVIOUSLY, SOMEBODY TRIES TO GET A PLANE TICKET AND BOARD A PLANE, THEY FIND OUT THEY’RE ON THE NO-FLY LIST. THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO TRY TO GET THEIR NAME STRUCK FROM THAT. AND THE SAME HAS BEEN PROPOSED AS A PART OF THE AMENDMENT THAT WE HOPE TO VOTE ON NEXT MONDAY ON THE SENATE FLOOR.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NOW, AS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY U.S. SENATOR IN HISTORY, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS CONCERNING WHETHER THIS HORROR WILL UNITE THE COUNTRY STILL IN THE MIDST OF POLITICAL AND CULTURAL CLASHES OVER LGBT RIGHTS NOT TO MENTION GUN RIGHTS?

TAMMY BALDWIN:

RIGHT. SO LET’S TAKE THOSE IN TURN, STARTING WITH GUN RIGHTS. SO THERE’S REASON THAT THERE’S BEEN INACTION IN THE PAST, AND PEOPLE CAN EITHER CHOOSE TO ALIGN WITH THE VERY POWERFUL NRA OR TO ALIGN WITH THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, INCLUDING GUN OWNERS, WHO THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CLOSE THE GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE AND ALLOW THE FBI THE AUTHORITY TO TURN DOWN SALES FOR THOSE WHO ARE ON THE TERROR WATCH LIST OR NO-FLY LIST. AND I HOPE THAT WE COME TOGETHER LISTENING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE RATHER THAN THIS POWERFUL LOBBYING GROUP. ON THE FIRST QUESTION, YOU KNOW, IT’S SO STRIKING TO ME HOW MANY PEOPLE’S REACTION WAS TO SORT OF GO TO THEIR CAMPS OF COMFORT, IF YOU WILL, AND SAY THIS IS ALL ABOUT ISIL OR THIS IS ALL ABOUT ONE ISSUE OR ANOTHER. AMERICA IS BETTER THAN THIS. WE HAVE SEEN CHILDREN SLAUGHTERED. WE HAVE SEEN COLLEGE STUDENTS SLAUGHTERED. WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE GOING ABOUT THEIR DAYS, GOING TO THEATER, GOING TO A NIGHTCLUB, WHERE LGBT PEOPLE SEEK TO BE IN A SPACE THAT IS SAFE AND FREE FROM BULLYING AND DISCRIMINATION. WHEN WILL WE COME TOGETHER AS A COUNTRY AND NOT GO INTO OUR SEPARATE CAMPS AND TAKE ACTION? BUT THE ONE THING I CAN TELL YOU IS NO ACTION IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE. SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

TAMMY BALDWIN:

THANK YOU.