Marco Rubio on Gun Control Republican Florida Senator

Ban bump stocks; limit magazine size; more background checks

Rubio steadfastly refused to consider banning semiautomatic rifles outright. And he said he would not refuse money from the National Rifle Association.

Rubio said, "I absolutely believe that in this country if you are [under] 18 years of age you should not be able to buy a rifle and I will support a law that takes that right away." Rubio was met with applause and went on to say he supports banning "bump stocks," which can make a semiautomatic fire like a machine gun. He also voiced support for better background checks & mental health funding. But when Rubio said an "assault weapons ban" would not have prevented Parkland's murders, the boos rained down.

ISIS and terrorists do not get their guns at gun shows

Criminals will ignore gun laws because they're criminals

New gun laws are ineffective, so don't pass them

RUBIO: My position on guns is pretty clear. I believe law-abiding people have a fundamental constitutional right to bear arms. And I believe criminals and dangerous people should not have access to guns. There are laws that protect those two things--but many of these [additional] gun laws are ineffective. They don't do those things. They either infringe on the rights of law-abiding people and do nothing to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. And I'm troubled this debate is about guns. It should be about violence. Violence is the problem, guns are what they're using. We are missing a golden opportunity to have an open, honest and serious conversation about these horrific violent acts, because everyone's focused on passing these laws that have proven ineffective.

Has a concealed weapon permit, but does not carry a weapon

RUBIO: I do not, but I have a concealed weapon permit. I don't [carry] because I spend most of my time in airports and in the Capitol where you're not allowed to necessarily carry those around. But let me say this to you: all Americans have a right to that--all Americans have a Second-Amendment right to buy a firearm, to possess one for both self-defense and for sport. And we should be very careful about anything that infringes on that. Now, if someone has an effective way to protect that right and to prevent criminals from getting access to weapons, certainly I think everyone is open to that.

Deal with gun violence, but do it constitutionally

As Speaker, failed to push law allowing guns at work

2nd Amendment is a cornerstone of our democracy

Opposes restrictions on the right to bear arms.

The Christian Coalition voter guide [is] one of the most powerful tools Christians have ever had to impact our society during elections. This simple tool has helped educate tens of millions of citizens across this nation as to where candidates for public office stand on key faith and family issues.

The CC survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: "Further restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms"

Rated B+ by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun rights voting record.

While widely recognized today as a major political force and as America`s foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has, since its inception, been the premier firearms education organization in the world. But our successes would not be possible without the tireless efforts and countless hours of service our nearly three million members have given to champion Second Amendment rights and support NRA programs.

The following ratings are based on lifetime voting records on gun issues and the results of a questionaire sent to all Congressional candidates; the NRA assigned a letter grade (with A+ being the highest and F being the lowest).

What the Grades Mean:
• A+: A legislator with not only an excellent voting record on all critical NRA issues, but who has also made a vigorous effort to promote and defend the Second Amendment.
• A: Solidly pro-gun candidate including voting record.
• AQ: A pro-gun candidate whose rating is based solely on the NRA-PVF Candidate Questionnaire and who does not have a voting record.
• B: A generally pro-gun candidate; may have opposed some pro-gun reform in the past.
• C: A candidate with a mixed record or positions on gun related issues, who may oppose some pro-gun positions.
• D: An anti-gun candidate who usually supports restrictive gun control legislation. Regardless of public statements, can usually be counted on to vote wrong on key issues.
• F: True enemy of gun owners` rights. A consistent anti-gun candidate.
• ?: Refused to answer the NRA-PVF Candidate Questionnaire, often an indication of indifference, if not outright hostility, to gun owners` rights.

Oppose the United Nations' Arms Trade Treaty.

Dear President Obama:

We write to express our concern and regret at your decision to sign the United Nations` Arms Trade Treaty. For the following reasons, we cannot give our advice and consent to this treaty:

1. The treaty violates a 2009 red line laid down by your own administration: `the rule of consensus decision-making.` In April 2013, after the treaty failed to achieve consensus, it was adopted by majority vote in the UN General Assembly.
2. The treaty allows amendments by a 3/4 majority vote. When amended, it will become a source of political and legal pressure on the US to comply in practice with amendments it was unwilling to accept.
3. The treaty includes only a weak, non-binding reference to the lawful ownership and use of firearms, and recognizes none of these activities, much less individual self-defense, as fundamental individual rights. It encourages governments to collect the identities of individual end users of imported firearms at the national level, which would constitute the core of a national gun registry
4. The State Department has acknowledged that the treaty is `ambiguous.` By becoming party to the treaty, the US would therefore be accepting commitments that are inherently unclear.
5. The criteria at the heart of the treaty are vague and easily politicized. They will steadily subject the US to the influence of internationally-defined norms, a process that would impinge on our national sovereignty.
6. The treaty criteria as established could hinder the US in fulfilling its strategic, legal, and moral commitments to provide arms to key allies such as Taiwan and Israel.

Reciprocity across state lines for concealed carry.

Press release in support: Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) cosponsored legislation to allow law-abiding citizens with concealed carry privileges to take firearms across state lines. Hyde-Smith has added her support to the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (S.446), which would allow qualified individuals to carry a concealed handgun into another state in accordance with that state`s laws. Concealed carry permits are not transferrable between states under current law.

`For law-abiding gun owners with concealed carry permits, this legislation would affirm their ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights in other states with right-to-carry laws,` Hyde-Smith said. `This is sensible legislation that recognizes states` authority to issue firearms licenses and permits, while supporting the rights of gun owners.`

Boston Globe Op-Ed (12/14/17) in opposition, by Mayor Marty Walsh: We`re grateful for the common-sense laws that help us do our jobs. We will fight any national policy that threatens to send us backward. That includes a bill called the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. It would force each state to recognize the concealed-carry standards of every other state, even those with dramatically weaker standards for who can get their hands on a gun. Given that the gun lobby has blocked the creation of a national database, it would be extremely difficult for local police to determine whether those out-of-state permits were even legitimate. Law enforcement all over the country strongly opposes this legislation.

If the US Senate passes Concealed Carry Reciprocity, people from other states who have criminal histories, who would never pass a background check in Massachusetts, would be able to carry a loaded, concealed gun into our neighborhoods. We know this is a bad idea. Our police officers, our neighbors, and the responsible gun owners of Boston agree.