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      Kamala Harris praises courage of ‘Tennessee Three’ on visit to Nashville

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      About 500 people packed the chapel at Fisk University, a historically Black college in Nashville, Tennessee, and sang the civil rights anthem This Little Light of Mine while they waited for US vice-president Kamala Harris to appear. When she did, the crowd erupted in cheers.Harris and her listeners were there to show support for her fellow Democrats and state lawmakers Justin Jones, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson – Jones and Pearson were ousted from the Republican-controlled Tennessee house of representatives after joining a protest in favor of gun control at the capitol in Nashville, and Johnson narrowly survived an expulsion vote.“We are here because [Jones, Pearson and Johnson] and their colleagues in the Democratic caucus chose to show courage in the face of extreme tragedy,” Harris said, alluding to how the targeted representatives stood with gun control advocates after the killings of three students and three staffers at the Covenant elementary school in Nashville on 27 March. “They chose to lead and show courage and say that a democracy allows for places where the people’s voice will be heard and honored and respected.”The vice-president said they also added another chapter to a vibrant local history of civil rights activism that previously saw sit-ins at segregated lunch counters led by the late US congressman John Lewis and his movement colleague Diane Nash, saying it was on their “broad shoulders upon which we all stand”.Harris’s visit punctuated a dramatic week for the so-called “Tennessee Three”, who faced expulsion proceedings after talking without being given the floor by the Republican house speaker Cameron Sexton. Johnson, Jones and Pearson said they spoke out in that manner because capitol staff had cut their microphones off when they attempted to bring up gun control and regulation efforts in response to the shooting deaths at Covenant.Jones and Pearson led chants from protesters in favor of their proposed measures with a bullhorn while Johnson stood by them silently in solidarity.Their colleagues then drew up papers to expel all three from the seats in the chamber to which they were democratically elected. Votes on Thursday left Jones and Pearson – two Black men and the house’s youngest members – ousted while Johnson, a 60-year-old white woman, managed to keep her seat by a single vote.“A democracy says you do not silence the people, you do not stifle the people, you do not turn off their microphones when they are speaking,” Harris said, outraged. “These leaders had to get a bullhorn to be heard.”Such expulsions are exceedingly rare even in today’s ultra-divided political climate, and they are generally used against lawmakers accused of misconduct more serious than a decorum breach. For instance, the body had previously expelled one lawmaker accused of spending federal nursing school grant money on a wedding and another who allegedly had improper sexual contact with more than 20 women in four years in office. Meanwhile, the state legislature opted against expelling a Republican representative accused of sexual misconduct in 2019.County commissions in Jones and Pearson’s districts are now set to pick someone to serve in the newly vacant seats until special elections can be held. Jones and Pearson remain eligible to run in those special elections and could also possibly be appointed by the county commissions to stay in their seats until those contests, though the commissions are reportedly facing pressure to choose interim replacements.To be sure, Jones and Pearson’s expulsions have given both men significant national platforms. In addition to Harris’s remarks, Joe Biden met with them and Johnson virtually. The president tweeted a photo of the meeting, saying: “Our country needs to take action on gun violence – to do that we need more voices like theirs speaking out.”The chapel was warmly receptive to the vice-president, responding to her statements with the sort of affirmations that are familiar in the halls of Black churches.“Some things are up for partisan debate,” she said. “Sure. But regarding the issue of gun safety laws, background checks, the policy is really pretty straightforward.”“Facts!” someone shouted from one of the pews.“Assault weapons … are weapons of war,” Harris continued. “These are weapons that are designed to kill a lot of people quickly. They have no place on the streets of a civil society.”Murmurs of “amen”, and “I know that’s right”, moved through the crowd.Young Black women – Fisk students – lined the aisles of the chapel wearing pearls and bright pink-and-green apparel signifying their association with the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority of which Harris is also a member. One of them, Kayla Willis, told the Guardian it was “an honor to see our legacy as a sorority and also as a Black-founded organization to be put at the forefront, especially in this political climate”.Willis is a senior studying political science and Spanish, and she said she was deeply disappointed with the expulsion of representatives Jones and Pearson. Still, the turnout, the speeches from local activists and officials, and Harris’s appearance lifted her spirits.State representative Torrey Harris – who, like Pearson, is a Black Democrat representing Memphis – was similarly affected. He noted how he was the legislature’s youngest member after the expulsions which targeted two men whom he referred to as “brothers” and people whom he had “grown to love”.Harris said he had no doubt race factored into Jones and Pearson’s expulsions as well as the more favorable outcome for Johnson.“We have to be honest and transparent that race plays a huge part in a lot of the decision-making that happens not only in this state, but in other states,” Harris said. “To cut off somebody else’s belief and ability to fight for their people is wrong. We live in a country that is built on democracy, and I would hope that we will one day get back to that place.” More

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      Protests in Tennessee as Democrats face removal for gun control demonstration

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      Thousands of protesters flocked to the Tennessee state capitol on Thursday to support three Democratic lawmakers facing expulsion for their role in a gun control demonstration after the killings of three children and three adults at a Nashville elementary school last week.Crowds cheered and chanted outside the house chamber, so loud that they drowned out proceedings.Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson are the subjects of the expulsion vote. Last week, they approached the front of the chamber floor and chanted back and forth with gun control supporters who packed the gallery.On Thursday the three Democrats held hands as they walked on to the house floor. During the pledge of allegiance, Pearson raised his fist to the crowd.Their possible expulsion has once again thrust Tennessee into the national spotlight, underscoring not only the ability of the Republican supermajority to silence opponents but also its increasing willingness to do so. The move sends a chilling message just as lawmakers grapple with how to respond to the devastating shooting at the Covenant school.On Thursday, many protesters had traveled from Memphis and Knoxville, areas Pearson and Johnson represent, and stood in a line that wrapped around the building. Johnson urged those in the gallery to remain calm and not shout at lawmakers, to avoid getting removed.Protesters outside the chamber held up signs that said “School zones shouldn’t be war zones”; “Muskets didn’t fire 950 rounds per minute”, with a photo of George Washington; and “You can silence a gun … but not the voice of the people”.As the House began proceedings, a Democrat, Vincent Dixie, urged that colleagues “not get distracted”. He mentioned the funeral of Mike Hill, the custodian killed at the Covenant school, which took place earlier in the week.“I want us to keep in mind the sacrifice that he made to keep those kids safe,” Dixie said. “Each of us has power to make change.”Before the expulsion vote, House members were set to debate more than 20 bills, including a school safety proposal requiring public and private schools to submit building safety plans to the state.The bill did not address gun control, sparking criticisms from some Democrats that lawmakers were only addressing a symptom and not the cause of school shootings.Expulsions in the Tennessee general assembly are rare.In 2019, lawmakers faced pressure to expel the former Republican representative David Byrd, after he faced accusations of sexual misconduct dating to when he was a high school basketball coach three decades before.Republicans declined to take action, pointing out that he was re-elected as the allegations surfaced. Byrd retired last year.In 2022, the state senate expelled a Democrat, Katrina Robinson, after she was convicted of using about $3,400 in federal grant money on wedding expenses instead of her nursing school.Before that case, state lawmakers last ousted a house member in 2016, voting 70-2 to remove the Republican Jeremy Durham after an investigation detailed allegations of improper sexual contact with at least 22 women in four years in office.If Johnson, Jones or Pearson are expelled, the county commissions in their districts would get to pick replacements to serve until special elections could be held. The three Democrats would remain eligible to run in those contests. More

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      Tennessee Republicans bid to expel Democrats who cheered gun control protest

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      Republican legislators in Tennessee have begun the process of expelling three Democratic colleagues from the conservative-controlled house over their support for a gun control protest at the state capitol days after a deadly school shooting in Nashville.On Thursday, hundreds gathered at the capitol to protest against the absence of gun control measures after three nine-year-old students and three staff members were killed at the Covenant school last week, according to a report in the Tennessean.Using a bullhorn, state representatives Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson approached the house podium without being recognized and cheered the protesters on.Jones and Pearson are each in their first year as representatives, while Johnson has been in office since 2019.House Republicans introduced three resolutions to expel the Democratic trio at the end of Monday’s session, four days after the protest. The chamber’s leadership also compared the gun control protest to an “insurrection”.Expelling a house member is an extremely rare occurrence, with only two of the chamber’s members removed since the civil war.The three have already been stripped of their committee assignments as more sanctions are expected, according to the Tennessee house speaker, Cameron Sexton.Several representatives also referred to Jones as a “former representative” during Monday’s session, the Associated Press reported.The trio is being accused of “knowingly and intentionally [bringing] disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives through their individual and collective actions”, according to the filed resolutions.Tensions flared during Monday’s session as supporters in the gallery booed and jeered at the introduced resolutions.At one point, Sexton ordered state troopers to remove supporters.House members also got into a confrontation on the chamber floor. Jones accused representative Justin Lafferty of pushing him and grabbing his phone.Republicans who filed the resolution successfully argued to expedite the expulsion process, with a vote scheduled for Thursday, the AP reported.House Democrats will probably be unable to block the expulsion resolutions given the house’s Republican majority, made up of lawmakers who are in favor of keeping guns as accessible as possible to the public.The rally followed the killings of Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, William McKinney, Katherine Koonce, Cindy Peak and Mike Hill at the Covenant school. Dieckhaus, Scruggs and McKinney were all students. Koonce, 60, was the school’s leader. Peak and Hill, both 61, respectively worked as a substitute teacher and a custodian.Authorities have said that the victims were all slain after an intruder fired 152 times in the school. A motive is unknown, but officials have said they believe that the shooter contemplated the actions of other mass murderers, according to the Daily Beast.Since the shooting, thousands have gathered at the Tennessee capitol calling for meaningful gun control measures, including young children and their parents, who packed the building ahead of Monday’s session.At the White House press briefing in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, the press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said: “By doing what they’re doing with these three Democratic legislators, they’re shrugging in the face of yet another tragic school shooting while our kids continue to pay the price.” More

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      Fugitive former aide to ex-Maryland governor dies in confrontation with FBI

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      An ex-Maryland governor’s former political aide – who was wanted on corruption charges – died on Monday after he was wounded while being confronted by law enforcement agents, his lawyer said, following a manhunt that was launched when the man failed to appear for trial.Roy McGrath’s death was confirmed by the FBI to attorney Joseph Murtha. Murtha added that it was not immediately clear if McGrath’s wound was self-inflicted or came during an exchange of gunfire with agents.The FBI had said earlier that McGrath, once a top aide to ex-Maryland governor Larry Hogan, had been hospitalized after an agent-involved shooting. The FBI typically uses the term “agent-involved shooting” to describe cases where agents shoot someone in the line of duty, but the bureau declined to elaborate.An attorney for McGrath’s wife, William Brennan, also confirmed the death. Brennan said his client, Laura Bruner, was “absolutely distraught” about her husband’s death.According to an email earlier from Shayne Buchwald of the FBI in Maryland, McGrath was wounded during “an agent-involved shooting” at about 6.30pm in a commercial area on the south-western outskirts of Knoxville, Tennessee. Buchwald said McGrath was taken to a hospital.Additional details, including how McGrath was wounded and what led up to it, were not immediately released. The shooting was under investigation late on Monday.“The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or taskforce members seriously,” said Buchwald, who declined to confirm that McGrath had died.McGrath, 53, served as chief of staff to Hogan. He was declared a wanted fugitive after failing to show up at a scheduled fraud trial last month, and the FBI has said he was considered an international flight risk.In a statement, Hogan said he and his wife, Yumi, “are deeply saddened by this tragic situation. We are praying for Mr McGrath’s family and loved ones.”Murtha called the death “a tragic ending to the past three weeks of uncertainty” and said his client always maintained his innocence.After McGrath failed to appear at Baltimore’s federal courthouse on 13 March, Murtha said he believed McGrath, who had moved to Naples, Florida, was planning to fly to Maryland the night before. Instead of beginning jury selection, a judge issued an arrest warrant and dismissed prospective jurors.McGrath was indicted in 2021 on accusations he fraudulently secured a $233,648 severance payment, equal to one year of salary as the head of Maryland’s environmental service, by falsely telling the agency’s board the governor had approved it. He was also accused of fraud and embezzlement connected to roughly $170,000 in expenses. McGrath pleaded not guilty.McGrath resigned just 11 weeks into the job as Hogan’s chief of staff in 2020 after the payments became public.If convicted of the federal charges, he would have faced a maximum sentence of 20 years for each of four counts of wire fraud, plus a maximum of 10 years for each of two counts of embezzling funds from an organization receiving more than $10,000 in federal benefits. More

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      ‘Children are dying’: lawmakers argue as protesters in Nashville demand action

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      Amid national grief and anger over the Nashville elementary school shooting in which three children and three adults were killed, members of Congress clashed angrily in Washington while protesters demanded action in Tennessee.In Washington, while speaking to reporters on Wednesday evening, Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat from New York and a former school principal, called Republicans “gutless” for refusing to support meaningful gun control reform.Thomas Massie, a far-right Republican from Kentucky, overheard.“What are you talking about?” he asked, adding: “There’s never been a school shooting in a school that allows teachers to carry guns.”Massie is one of many Republicans to have released, often as holiday cards, images of family members holding assault weapons.Bowman responded: “Carry guns? More guns lead to more death. Look at the data. You’re not looking at any data.”The New Yorker told the Kentuckian states with open-carry laws have more gun deaths. Massie told Bowman to calm down.“Calm down?” Bowman asked. “Children are dying!”Elsewhere in the Capitol, Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat, responded angrily to Marjorie Taylor Greene, after the far-right Georgia Republican advocated that teachers be armed.Moskowitz said: “You know, there are six people that are dead in that school including three children because you guys got rid of the assault weapons ban. Because you guys made it easy for people who … are mentally incapable of having weapons of war, being able to buy those weapons and go into schools.“… Did the good guys with the guns stop six people from getting murdered? No. But you know what? AR-15s, you’ve seen what those bullets do to children. You know why you don’t hunt with an AR-15, with a deer? Because there’s nothing left. And there’s nothing left of these kids when people go into school and murder them while they’re trying to read.“You guys are worried about banning books? Dead kids can’t read.”On Thursday there were angry scenes in Nashville, as protesters gathered at the state capitol while the Republican-dominated legislature took up work for the first time since the shooting.Chants of “Save our children!” echoed in hallways between the senate and house chambers, with protesters inside and outside the building. Some filled the senate gallery, including children who held signs reading “I’m nine”. Most were removed after some began yelling: “Children are dead!”There were quieter scenes on Wednesday night, at a candlelight vigil.The victims at the Covenant School were Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all nine years old; Katherine Koonce, the head of the school, who was 60; Cynthia Peake, a substitute teacher who was 61; and Mike Hill, the school custodian, who was also 61.Speakers including lawmakers and religious leaders led prayers and gave condolences. The first lady, Jill Biden, was there. The Republican governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee, was not.Nashville residents offered musical performances. Sheryl Crow, who has called for gun control reform, sang I Shall Believe. Margo Price performed Tears of Rage. Ketch Sector, of Old Crow Medicine Show, performed Will the Circle Be Unbroken?The Nashville police chief, John Drake, expressed gratitude to officers who killed the shooter.“Many of us hoped and prayed these evil acts we saw would never happen in Nashville,” Drake said.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionShaundelle Brooks, whose 23-year-old son was a victim of a shooting at a Nashville Waffle House in 2018, was present.“I know what it’s like to be a parent – what it feels like, like you’re drowning and can’t move, and that weakness and that hole that comes in your stomach,” she told the Associated Press.Another parent, the actor Melissa Joan Hart, said in an Instagram message she and her husband helped kindergartners to safety on Monday.“We helped all these tiny little, little kids cross the road and get their teachers over there,” Hart said, fighting tears.Hart, 46, also said her family lived near Sandy Hook elementary when that school, in Connecticut, was attacked in December 2012. Twenty young children and six adults were killed then.In Nashville, officials continue to seek a motive. The 28-year-old shooter, Audrey Hale, was a former student of the Covenant School. Police said the school reported no issues when Hale was a student.Police said Hale was a transgender person. On Tuesday, Drake said Hale had been put under a doctor’s care for an “emotional disorder” but police had not been contacted. He also said Hale purchased seven guns and hid them. Three guns were used in the attack. Drake has said the shooting was “calculated”. Officials have said Hale had weapons training and seemed to be prepared to face law enforcement.On Thursday, authorities released 911 calls that captured the terror inside the school. Callers pleaded for help in hushed voices as sirens, crying and gunfire were heard.One caller told a dispatcher she could hear gunshots as she hid in a closet. The caller noted a pause in the shots. The dispatcher said two other callers had reported shots at the school.“I think so,” the caller said, as children could be heard in the background. The caller said she could hear more shots. Muffled thuds could be heard.“I’m hearing more shots,” the caller said. “Please hurry.”Another caller said: “I think we have a shooter at our church … I’m on the second floor in a room. I think the shooter is on the second floor.”Another man said he was with a group including several children and they were walking away from the school. The tension and confusion were obvious, adults speaking over each other, with children in the background.
      Associated Press contributed reporting More

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      Republicans accused of hypocrisy over gun safety after Nashville shooting – as it happened

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      That’s it for the US live politics blog. Here’s what happened today:
      Earlier today, the Nashville police department gave a press conference about Monday’s shooting at a local elementary school, where three children and three adults were killed.
      A federal judge has ordered Mike Pence to testify in a special counsel investigation on Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, though Pence is able to appeal the ruling.
      Joe Biden commented on his ability to get gun control passed in the wake of Monday’s mass shooting. Biden said that he is only able to “plead with Congress” to act and pass gun control measures.
      Democrats are apparently weighing legislative options in the face of Monday’s shooting, including a discharge petition which could bring legislation to the floor. But Democratic leadership has not provided a timeline to when or if they plan on doing so.
      Republicans, including Tennessee governor Bill Lee, have been accused of hypocrisy for providing their condolences following Monday’s shooting but refusing to support gun control measures.
      Thank you for reading. Join us tomorrow for more updates!Earlier today, the Nashville police department provided more updates on the shooter who killed three children and three adults at an area elementary school on Monday.According to the police, the 28-year-old shooter had legally purchased seven guns. The firearms were hidden from the shooter’s parents as the shooter resided in the family home.The shooter’s parents believed that the shooter owned one gun that had been sold.The shooter used three of the purchased guns to carry out the massacre on Monday at Covenant school, where they were a former student. The shooter had reportedly been receiving treatment for an “emotional disorder”, reported Reuters.The shooter left behind a detailed map of the school as well as what police are describing as a “manifesto”, which indicated that the shooter may have had plans to target other locations.Before carrying out the shooting, the shooter messaged Averianna Patton, a friend and former basketball teammate, writing: “Something bad is about to happen.”Patton told Nashville’s News Channel 5 that she notified police about the message, but said that police showed a lack of urgency.Here are more highlights from Biden’s remarks from NPR’s Asma Khalid:Biden spoke about yesterday’s mass shooting in Nashville while giving remarks at a semiconductor facility in North Carolina about his Investing in America agenda, his administration’s plan to increase job growth.Biden spoke on the shooting in Nashville, adding that the victims’ families deserve action on gun control and “more than a prayer”, referring to thoughts and prayers that are usually offered after such events.Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer responded to questions about whether an assault weapons ban would come to the floor for a vote.During remarks to the press, Schumer said that legislators were “working hard” to get enough votes for a ban to be passed, but declined to give a timeline on if a vote would happen on the issue soon.“Look, as you know, I care passionately about this. I’m the author of the bill that passed in 1994. And we’re working hard to get enough votes to pass it,” said Schumer.Florida representative Maxwell Frost called Republicans “cowards” for their failure to pass gun control.Discussing the Nashville shooting, Maxwell called out “politicians in this chamber that have been bought and paid for by the NRA” for not addressing the issue of gun violence seriously.“It is likely that at this moment, the next mass shooter is planning their shooting. What will this chamber do about it,” said Frost.Read the Guardian’s September 2022 profile of Frost here.The Georgia Democratic party (GDP) has put out a statement denouncing Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s upcoming speech at a local gun shop following yesterday’s shooting in Nashville.Representative Nikema Williams, who is also chair of the GDP, called on DeSantis to cancel the upcoming stop in Smyrna, Georgia, according to a statement from Williams published Tuesday:Holding a campaign event at a gun store days after another horrific school shooting where innocent children were murdered should be beyond the pale, but Ron DeSantis seems to not care.
      DeSantis is showing Georgians exactly where his priorities lie as he advocates for an extreme MAGA agenda that could make it easier for criminals to carry guns in Florida and puts the gun lobby ahead of our children’s lives. DeSantis should cancel this event immediately.DeSantis is scheduled to visit the gun shop on Thursday, 30 March.A federal judge has ordered Mike Pence to testify in a special counsel investigation on Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.The former vice-president has been ordered to testify about conversations he had with Trump leading up to the January 6 insurrection, reported CNN.The judge has said that Pence can decline to answer questions related to his own actions or the insurrection itself.Pence is able to appeal this ruling.Joe Biden has commented on his ability to get gun control passed following Monday’s massacre at a Nashville elementary school, noting that he can only “plead with Congress” for action.Biden spoke to reporters while on his way to Durham, North Carolina.While making his trip, Biden was asked about his ability to enact firearm restrictions.“I can’t do anything except plead with Congress to act,” said Biden.The Guardian’s Martin Pengelly wrote on the latest updates regarding Tuesday’s shooting in Nashville at an elementary school, available here.The Senate chaplain commented on yesterday’s mass shooting, delivering fiery remarks about the need to move beyond thoughts and prayers in response to gun violence.On Tuesday, Senate chaplain Barry Black began his morning prayer for the Senate with a plea on addressing gun violence.“When babies die at a church school, it is time for us to move beyond thoughts and prayers. Remind our lawmakers of the words of the British statesman Edmund Burke: ‘All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing,” said Black during his impassioned prayer.Democrats are now holding a press conference in response to yesterday’s shooting, urging Republicans to work with them and pass gun control legislation.Democrats are apparently weighing legislative options in the face of Monday’s shooting at a Tennessee elementary school, including a discharge petition.Democrats have been critical of Republicans’ responses to the latest mass shooting and are considering potential actions, reports Politico’s Nicholas Wu.“We’re going to have a conversation about all options to deal with the gun violence epidemic in America,” said US House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries to Politico.Tennessee representative Andrew Ogles has responded to criticism he received after yesterday’s Nashville shooting for a 2021 Christmas family photo featuring firearms.Ogles, who represents the district where the shooting took place, did not express regrets on Tuesday over the photo, where Ogles, his wife, and several of his children are holding riffles and smiling.“Why would I regret a photograph with my family exercising my rights to bear arms?” said the representative.An aide to Kentucky senator Rand Paul was stabbed multiple times over the weekend, said the senator in a late Monday statement.A member of Paul’s staff was seriously wounded during the random attack around 5.15 pm eastern time on Saturday, reported ABC News.The assault took place less than two miles outside of the US Capitol building, raising concerns about violence in the capital city.“This past weekend a member of my staff was brutally attacked in broad daylight in Washington, D.C.,” said Paul in a statement to ABC News.“I ask you to join [wife] Kelley and me in praying for a speedy and complete recovery, and thanking the first responders, hospital staff, and police for their diligent actions.”The victim was treated for stab wounds and taken to the hospital for “treatment of life-threatening injuries”, according to a police report obtained by ABC.The suspect was arrested and is being held without bail.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke this morning about yesterday’s shooting, urging Republicans to “show some courage” on passing gun control measures. While speaking on the show Morning Joe, Jean-Pierre spoke about the need for legislation following another mass shooting in a US school.“No other country is dealing with this,” said Jean-Pierre. “No other country is dealing with our kids going to school [and] being slaughtered, being murdered.”“Enough. Enough. Enough,” Jean-Pierre added. “We need Republicans in Congress to show some courage. This is what they owe these parents.Following Monday’s shooting in Nashville, Tennessee governor Bill Lee has come under fire for sharing condolences about the massacre while not supporting gun control in the state. Republican governor Bill Lee shared on Monday that he was “praying for the school, congregation & Nashville community”.But Lee was widely criticized for his comments as Lee refused to pass firearm restrictions in June following a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were killed.Lee also faced backlash for his comments, as his administration passed a bill in 2021 that allows open carry of handguns without permits in Tennessee.Good morning.Yesterday’s shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, has once again spotlighted the partisan divide on how to address gun violence in schools.Three children and three adults were killed during Monday’s massacre at the Covenant school, a private elementary school, confirmed the Nashville police department. The shooting was carried out by a former student who was shot and killed at the scene.In response to Monday’s tragedy, Democrats have been quick to point out hypocrisy and inaction on gun violence from their Republican counterparts.Tennessee representative Andrew Ogles, who represents the district where the Covenant school is located, said he was “utterly heartbroken” over the shooting in a statement released on Monday, reported the Washington Post.But Democrats and gun control advocates brought up Ogles’ previous defense of guns, including a 2021 Christmas card featuring Ogles’ family smiling and holding riffles.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre similarly accused Republicans of inaction during yesterday’s briefing, stating: “How many more children have to be murdered before Republicans in Congress step up and pass the assault weapons ban, to close loopholes in our background check system, or to require the safe storage of guns?” More

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      Republican congressman says ‘we’re not going to fix’ school shootings

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      After the latest massacre of schoolchildren in the United States, the Republican congressman Tim Burchett answered the question Americans have all but given up asking of their elected officials by telling reporters: “We’re not going to fix it.”The three-term congressman from Tennessee, the state where an intruder fatally shot three nine-year-old students and three adults at a small Christian school on Monday, appeared to compare the expectation of safety for American schoolchildren with that of soldiers fighting Japanese suicide attackers during the second world war.“It’s a horrible, horrible situation, and we’re not going to fix it,” Burchett said. “Criminals are gonna be criminals. And my daddy fought in the second world war, fought in the Pacific, fought the Japanese, and he told me, he said, ‘Buddy,’ he said, ‘if somebody wants to take you out, and doesn’t mind losing their life, there’s not a whole heck of a lot you can do about it.’”Asked whether there was a role for Congress to play in preventing tragedies that are exceedingly common in the US while being exceedingly rare in the rest of the world, Burchett responded: “I don’t see any real role that we could do other than mess things up, honestly … I don’t think you’re going to stop the gun violence. I think you got to change people’s hearts. You know, as a Christian, as we talk about in the church, and I’ve said this many times, I think we really need a revival in this country.”Burchett, 58, has a reputation as “perhaps one of the least filtered members” of Congress, according to a recent profile in Politico that focused on his penchant for somewhat offbeat jokes.His substantive track record is less distinct from his rightwing peers. Burchett was first elected to Congress in 2018, after two decades in the Tennessee state legislature and as mayor of Knox county. He describes himself as an “avid gun owner” and received an A rating from the National Rifle Association’s political action committee, which noted his opposition to bans on semi-automatic weapons. The far-right Heritage Foundation rates his voting record at 95%, thanks in part to his opposition of a bipartisan gun control bill and universal background checks for gun purchases. He was also among 125 House Republicans to sign an amicus brief backing one of the efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election.But Burchett has not always had such a laissez-faire attitude toward crime nor such a cynical attitude toward legislators’ role.In 2006, while serving in the Tennessee state legislature, he sponsored legislation to ban salvia divinorum, an herb with psychoactive properties. “It’s not that popular,” Burchett said of the drug at the time. “But I’m one of those who believes in closing the barn door before the cows get out.“In certain hands, it could be very dangerous, even lethal.”In 2022, after voting against Democratic legislation to fund police departments, Burchett attributed a “violent crime spike” to “liberal soft-on-crime policies and the radical Defund the Police movement”.Burchett has introduced one piece of legislation related to public safety during his tenure in Congress: the 2019 “Unmasking Antifa Act”. The bill sought to create “a new criminal civil rights violation for wearing a disguise while interfering with another person’s exercise of a protected right or privilege”. Had it passed, the bill would have punished people committing crimes while wearing masks with prison sentences of up to 15 years. More