Two back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, last weekend that left 31 dead ignited a heated conversation about racism and gun violence — and what policymakers should do to combat them both.
Before departing Washington for a two-week vacation, President Trump on Friday said there was “tremendous” support for “really common-sense sensible, important background checks” and that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is “totally on board.”
Lawmakers, including some Republicans, are calling on McConnell to call the Senate back from its August recess to vote on bipartisan gun violence prevention legislation that passed the House in February.
McConnell on Thursday said that a measure expanding background checks to all gun purchasers would be “front and center” when the Senate comes back into session next month.
Just hours before the president arrived in El Paso to visit first responders and shooting victims on Wednesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents apprehended over six hundred immigrant workers in targeted workplace raids in Mississippi.
Officials touted the raids as “the largest single state immigration enforcement operation in our nation’s history.”
The conversation about mass shootings also hit the campaign trail, as gun policy activists quickly organized a presidential “gun safety” forum in Des Moines on Saturday, where more than 20 Democratic presidential candidates are gathering for the Iowa State Fair.
According to the Des Moines Register, 17 candidates plan to attend and talk about their plans to address gun violence.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who founded the group “Everytown for Gun Safety” in 2014, will also speak at the event.
“The shootings in El Paso and Dayton have rightly outraged Americans, and we are going to make sure that gun safety is front and center in this presidential election — something that is long overdue,” Bloomberg said ahead of the forum.
With the latest news and analysis from Washington, don’t miss Margaret Brennan (@margbrennan) this Sunday on “Face the Nation” (@FaceTheNation).
We’ll sit down with former New York City Mayor and “Everytown for Gun Safety” founder Michael Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) at a gun safety forum in Des Moines, Iowa.
We’ll talk to House Republican Whip Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, (@SteveScalise).
We’ll also hear from 2020 Democratic Presidential Candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont (@BernieSanders), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York (@SenGillibrand), and Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado (@MichaelBennet).
And as always, we’ll turn to our panel for some perspective on the week that was:
- CBS News Political Correspondent Ed O’Keefe (@edokeefe)
- Shawna Thomas (@Shawna) of Vice News
- Gerald Seib (@GeraldFSeib) of Wall Street Journal
On TV, the radio, and streaming online, don’t miss “Face the Nation” this Sunday! Click here for your local listings.
And for the latest from America’s premier public affairs program, follow us on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram.
© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
