G FROM
DAN.
THIS TIME DIRECTED TOWARD
CONGRESSWOMAN KUSTER FIRST.
DAN DEMRMPLING THANK YOU.
CONGRESSWOMAN, YOU --
DAN: THANK YOU.
CONGRESSWOMAN, YOU PARTICIPATED
IN A SIT-IN IN THE CONGRESS TO
PROTEST A LACK OF GUN CONTROL.
HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY THAT AND
TELL PEOPLE TO TRUST THE
LEGISLATIVE PROCESS WHEN YOU
DID NOT TRUST IT?
MS. KUSTER: I THINK THIS GOES
BACK TO JOSH'S OPENING
QUESTION.
IT'S THE GRIDLOCK, WHAT I
BELIEVE IS FRANKLY
OBSTRUCTIONISM IN CONGRESS.
AND THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE,
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT UP.
VOTERS HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, 85% OF
GRANITE STATE VOTERS WANT THE
CONGRESS TO BE RESPONSIBLE, TO
KEEP OUR COMMUNITIESES SAFE.
WEEK AFTER WEEK, MONTH AFTER
MONTH, I'VE SEEN MY COLLEAGUES
COME TO WHAT WE CALL THE WELL,
COME TO THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE,
ASKING FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE
AFTER THESE HORRIFIC MASS
SHOOTINGS.
IN SAN BERNARDINO AND ORLANDO
AND NEWTOWN.
SO WE WERE NOT ABLE UNDER THE
REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION TO
GET A SINGLE HEARING ON THESE
COMMONSENSE REFORMS THAT
RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERS AGREE
WITH.
85% OF THE PEOPLE WANT THE
BACKGROUND CHECKS TO COVER ALL
THE SALES.
22% OF THE SALES, ONLINE SALES,
ARE NOT CURRENTLY COVERED.
AND SO I'M VERY CONFIDENT THAT
GOING INTO THE UPCOMING SESSION
WE WILL HAVE HEARINGS AND WE
WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE THIS
FORWARD.
DAN: WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE
WHO SAY THAT WAS JUST STUNT?
MS. KUSTER: I DON'T THINK IT
WAS A STUNT.
IT WAS TO GAIN ATTENTION TO THE
GRIDLOCK AND TO THE
OBSTRUCTIONISM OF A VERY SMALL
GROUP OF PEOPLE.
I KEEP COMING BACK TO THAT, 30
OR 40 MEMBERS OF THIS FAR
EXTREME GROUP THAT ARE KEEPING
THE COUNTRY FROM MOVING FORWARD
AND THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE,
CONGRESS, FROM DOING THE
PEOPLE'S WORK.
DAN: MR. LAURENCE, YOU HAVE
BEEN A STEADFAST ADVOCATE AND
SUPPORT FOR THE SECOND
AMENDMENT.
DOES THAT SUPPORT IGNORE THE
VAST MAJORITY OF GRANITE
STATERS?
AND AMERICANS WHO ARE IN FAVOR
OF UNIVERSAL, MORE
COMPREHENSIVE BACKGROUND
CHECKS?
MR. LAWRENCE: YOU KNOW, NO, I
DON'T THINK IT DOES.
BECAUSE WHAT I'VE CAMPAIGNED ON
IS I WANT TO BE AN EFFECTIVE
LEGISLATOR.
UNFORTUNATELY THE TYPES OF
PROPOSALS THAT I'M HEARING
COMING FROM MY OPPONENT I DO
NOT BELIEVE WILL KEEP AMERICANS
SAFE.
VERMONT IS CONSISTENTLY RANKED
AS THE SAFEST STATE IN THE
NATION.
IT IS THAT THE POINT AS WELL.
AND THEY CERTAINLY DON'T MODEL
THEIR GUN LAWS AFTER THIS TYPE
OF GUN CONTROL.
I MIGHT ADD THAT THE SIT-IN
THAT YOU REFERRED TO PREVIOUSLY
CAME AFTER THE HORRIFIC ORLANDO
SHOOTING.
IT WAS A GREAT TRAGEDY.
THE REALITY IS THAT NONE OF
THESE PROVISIONS THAT WE'RE NOW
PROPOSING WOULD HAVE PREVENTED
THAT ACT FROM HAPPENING.
HOWEVER, WHAT WOULD HAVE
PREVENTED IT IS MAKING SURE
THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT HAD THE
RESOURCES THAT IT NEEDED TO
FOLLOW THE LEADS, CONCLUDE ITS
INVESTIGATIONS, AND ALSO
ENFORCE THE LAWS THAT ARE ON
TH BOOK.
THIS WAS AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WE
HAD, WE INTERVIEWED HIM, WE
KNEW HE HAD TIES TO TERRORISTS,
AND WE COULDN'T GET THE JOB
DONE.
THE EXISTING LAWS WOULD HAVE
PREVENTED THIS FROM HAPPENING.
IF LAW ENFORCEMENT HAD THE
PROPER RESOURCES.
MS. KUSTER: THAT'S PRECISELY
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IF YOU ARE ON A TERRORIST WATCH
LIST YOU SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO
BUY A GUN THAT CAUSED MASS
DESTRUCTION OF LIFE IN ORLANDO.
AND I THINK THERE'S BROAD
AGREEMENT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
FEEL THAT WAY.
BUT WE CAN'T GET A SINGLE
HEARING IN THE UNITED STATES
CONGRESS.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
THE PEOPLE'S VOICE NEEDS TO BE
HEARD.
AND I'M TELLING YOU, WHEREVER I
GO, RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERS, OF
COURSE I BELIEVE IN THE SECOND
AMENDMENT.
THE SECOND DISTRICT OF NEW
HAMPSHIRE IS A STRONG,
GUN-OWNING AREA AND REGION.
AND ALWAYS WILL BE.
BUT THEY WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO