Democratic candidates debate in Detroit Michigan, July 30-31, 2019: on Gun Control

Amy Klobuchar: We passed universal background checks and NRA blocked it

Mayor Pete BUTTIGIEG: Something is broken [because since I was in high school we have been having] the same debate around the same solutions that we all know are the right thing to do. They won't prevent every incident. They won't save every life. But we know what to do, and it has not happened.

KLOBUCHAR: What is broken is a political system that allows the NRA and other large, big money to come in and make things not happen when the majority of people are for. The people are with us now. After the Parkland [mass shooting], those students just didn't march. They talked to their dads and the hunters in their family, and they said there must be a better way. Then we elected people in the House of Representatives. And guess what? It changed, and they passed universal background checks. And now that bill is sitting on Mitch McConnell's doorstep because of the money and the power of the NRA. As president, I will take them on.

Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

Amy Klobuchar: Gun violence is about politicians folding to the NRA

This isn't just about a system, or it's not just about words. This is about the NRA. I sat across from the president of the United States after Parkland, and I watched and wrote down when, nine times, he said he wanted universal background checks. The next day, he goes and he meets with the NRA, and he folds. As your president, I will not fold. I will make sure that we get universal background checks passed, the assault weapon ban, that we do something about magazines. Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

Bernie Sanders: For background checks, and closing loopholes

I have a D-minus voting record from the NRA. We have got to have the guts to finally take on the NRA. I will do everything I can to expand and create universal background checks, do away with the strawman provision, do away with the gun show loophole, and do away with the loopholes that now exist for gun manufacturers who are selling large amounts of weapons into communities that are going to gangs. Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

Beto O`Rourke: Money buys influence, access, and outcomes

How else can we explain that we lose nearly 40,000 people in this country to gun violence, a number that no other country comes close to. We know what the solutions are, and yet nothing has changed. It is because money buys influence, access, and, increasingly, outcomes. The Center for Disease Control prevented from actually studying the issue in the first place. We will make sure that we ban political action committee contributions to any member of Congress or candidate for federal office. Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

John Hickenlooper: Fundamental nonsense of government: Washington can't act

This is the fundamental nonsense of government, where, despite our best efforts, we can't seem to make any progress. When I went to the movie theater in Aurora in 2012 and saw that footage of what happened at that crime scene, I'll never forget it. We decided that we were going to go out and take on the NRA, and we passed universal background checks. We limited magazine capacity. We did the basic work that for whatever reason doesn't seem to be able to get done in Washington. Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

Pete Buttigieg: What we're doing on gun violence isn't working

What we're doing hasn't worked because we haven't had a system in Washington capable of delivering what the American people want. 80, 90% of Republicans want universal background checks, not to mention common sense solutions like red flag laws that disarmed domestic abusers and flag mental health risks, and an end to assault weapons, things like what I carried overseas in uniform, that have no business in American neighbors in peace time, let alone anywhere near a school.

This is the exact same conversation we've been having since I was in high school. I was a junior when the Columbine shooting happened. I was part of the first generation that saw routine school shootings. We have now produced the second school shooting generation in this country. We better not allow there to be a third. We all know the right thing to do. They won't prevent every incident. They won't save every life. But we know what to do, and it has not happened.

Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

Steve Bullock: Must address dark money to take on NRA

Q: Why can't Congress pass common-sense gun reforms?

Sen. Amy KLOBUCHAR: [The problem] is a political system that allows the NRA and other large, big money to come in and make things not happen when the majority of people are for. The people are with us now [against] the power of the NRA. As president, I will take them on.

Q: Governor Bullock, how can Democrats trust you to be the leader on this fight for gun safety when you only changed your position to call for an assault weapons ban last summer?

BULLOCK: Like 40% of American households, I'm a gun-owner. I hunt. We need to start looking at this as a public health issue, not a political issue. I agree with Senator Klobuchar. It is the NRA. And it's not just gun violence. It's when we talked about climate, when we talk about prescription drug costs, Washington is captured by dark money, the Koch brothers, and others. We're not going to address [the NRA's power] until we kick dark money and out of these elections.

Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

The above quotations are from Democratic candidates debate in Detroit Michigan, July 30-31, 2019. Click here for definitions & background information on Gun Control. Click here for other issues (main summary page). Click here for more quotes by Joe Biden on Gun Control. Click here for more quotes by Pete Buttigieg on Gun Control.
*2020 Presidential contenders on Gun Control:*
	*Republicans:* Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD) ~~Gov.John Kasich~~(R-OH) V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN) Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC) Pres.Donald Trump(NY) Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL) Gov.Bill Weld(MA & NY)	*Democrats:* Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO) V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE) Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT) Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN) Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ) Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX) Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC) Rep.John Delaney (D-MD) Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK) Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA) ~~Gov.John Hickenlooper~~ (D-CO) ~~Gov.Jay Inslee~~ (D-WA) Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL) Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA) Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX) Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA) Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA) CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA) ~~Rep.Eric Swalwell~~ (D-CA) Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Marianne Williamson (D-CA) CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY) *2020 Third Party Candidates:* Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI) Howie Hawkins (G-NY) ~~Gov.Gary Johnson~~(L-NM) V.P.Mike Pence (R-IN) ~~Howard Schultz~~(I-WA) V.C.Arvin Vohra (L-MD)
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Page last updated: Sep 08, 2019