Gun control top of mind for many lawmakers as Congress returns to Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — As Congress returns from recess, gun control actions are top of mind for many lawmakers including Congressman Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland.

As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, Raskin is hopeful the committee will pass bills promoting red flag laws, a ban on high-capacity magazines, and legislation allowing Congress to get guns out of the hands of people convicted of hate crimes.

“That will be our focus,” he said. “Then we’re going to have a hearing about assault weapons generally, about AR-15s, which have been the weapon of choice in massacres.”

According to Raskin, the committee plans to meet this week and take up several bills.

“There’s not going to be one solution that’s a panacea,” he added.

Raskin says even these actions won’t be enough unless Congress finds ways to limit access to guns.

“We’re still going to have the highest gun violence and homicide rate on Earth,” Raskin said. “Most advanced societies are far more restrictive in terms of giving people access to firearms and that’s the critical difference.”

But even if those measures were to pass in the House, it’s unclear what President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will support.

“We’re looking at some things that are very strong and we have to do it in a bipartisan way,” Trump said.

Trump recently told reporters that his administration is working alongside Congress for a fix but so far, the president hasn’t provided any specifics.

“I can tell you a lot of people are working on different scenarios and we’re going to see how it all comes about,” Trump added.