Republican Rep. gets out his GUNS at heated firearms hearing: Democrats blames GOP for mass shootings as Republicans call for hardening schools, say Hunter Biden was able to ‘illegally’ get a weapon, and AR-15s are used on raccoons

• The House Judiciary Committee held a markup session Thursday on emergency gun control measures on the heels of several mass shootings 
• Republicans were resistance to the bill, with GOP Rep. Greg Steube showing off his gun collection over Zoom as he argued its unintended consequences 
• Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado argued that AR-15s, the gun style of choice in most recent U.S. mass shootings, had practical purposes 
• ‘In rural Colorado, an AR-15 is a gun of choice for killing raccoons before they get to our chickens,’ Buck said. ‘That is the gun of choice for killing a fox’ 
• GOP Rep. Tom McClintock of California suggested that ‘woke district attorneys’ aren’t using the laws already on the books, bringing up Hunter Biden  

One Republican lawmaker showed off his guns over Zoom, while Democrats blasted their GOP colleagues for allowing mass shootings to happen due to their resistance to gun control laws, during Thursday’s heated House Judiciary Committee hearing. 

Lawmakers held a markup session for the ‘Protecting Our Kids Act,’ which combines eight pieces of legislation in the latest Congressional gun control push on the heels of mass shootings in Buffalo, Robb Elementary School in Uvalve, Texas and Wednesday night’s killings in Tulsa. 

The bill would raise the purchasing age of certain semiautomatic centerfire rifles from 18 to 21 – as the shooters in Buffalo and Uvalve were both 18. It also goes after high-capacity magazines, ghost guns and bump stocks and mandates certain requirements for firearms storage on residential facilities. 

Republican Rep. Greg Steube of Florida displayed his own collection of guns over Zoom during Thursday’s heated House Judiciary Committee hearing marking up gun control legislation

‘I’m at my house, I can do whatever I want with my guns,’ Rep. Greg Steube told Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee during Thursday’s House Judiciary Committee hearing 

Republicans remained firm in their resistance.  

Republican Rep. Greg Steube of Florida argued that the law limiting high-capacity magazines would have unintended effects – and he held up his own guns to demonstrate, while participating in the hearing virtually. 

‘I hope that gun isn’t loaded,’ Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee uttered at the sight, with Steube responding, ‘I’m at my house, I can do whatever I want with my guns.’ 

Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado argued that AR-15s, the gun style of choice in most recent U.S. mass shootings, had practical purposes. 

‘In rural Colorado, an AR-15 is a gun of choice for killing raccoons before they get to our chickens,’ Buck said. ‘That is the gun of choice for killing a fox.’ 

The bill lawmakers are debating does not ban AR-15s. 

Republican Rep. Tom McClintock (left) of California suggested that ‘woke district attorneys’ aren’t using the laws already on the books – bringing up a favorite GOP punching bag, first son Hunter Biden (right) 

Republican Rep. Tom McClintock of California suggested that ‘woke district attorneys’ aren’t using the laws already on the books – bringing up a favorite GOP punching bag, first son Hunter Biden. 

‘Hunter Biden illegally acquired a handgun despite being an admitted drug addict. A handgun that ended up being taken out of a public trash can 500 feet from a school. He also lied on his firearms application,’ McClintock said. ‘Nobody’s prosecuting him.’ 

McClintock was referring to Biden answering no on a 2018 firearms permit to the question, ‘Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?’ 

Hunter Biden had already been discharged from the Navy Reserve over his cocaine use. 

Republican after Republican argued that pushing the bill through was ‘premature’ since the Uvalve shooting – where 19 children and two teachers were killed on May 24 – was still under investigation. 

The Judiciary Committee meeting was called during recess as an emergency session.  

‘You guys are smasming over this reflexive response,’ Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz said at one point. ‘And you call it an emergency hearing, right? And the basis for the emergency is what happened in Uvalve, and we all agree it was awful and tragic, but you’re not providing any thoughtful solutions that would actually reduce the likelihood of that.’

‘Spare us the spirited screaming,’ he urged Democrats. 

Earlier he had suggested that arming more Americans might be appropriate. 

‘I sort of like Congressman Massie’s legislation that maybe everyone who’s a voter on their way to vote ought to have the opportunity to carry a firearm to ensure that they’re not subject to any intimidation,’ Gaetz mused. 

Democrats argued that it wasn’t just Uvalve, listing off mass shooting after shooting, starting with 1999’s Columbine. 

‘As the youngest membrer of this committee, I need to address my Republican colleagues on the behalf of the generations of young people whom Republicans have condemned to grow up in fear that they will be gunned down in school,’ said 35-year-old Democratic Rep. Mondaire Jones, who was 11 when Columbine happened. 

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