Sen. Amy Klobuchar, while pushing for universal background check legislation, said Wednesday that she doesn't understand why her Republican counterparts in the Senate are not voting on an issue that so many Americans want to happen.
"This bill coming up right now, the universal background check, is still in the Senate," the Minnesota Democrat and presidential candidate told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "We have a stronger version coming out of the House sitting on (Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnells' desk. It can come up for a vote and I challenge our Republican colleagues to not vote with us."
She said she'd like to see Republicans walk across the aisle and call for a vote on the checks because it's for the "safety of America."
But meanwhile, Republicans have "literally avoided" taking a vote on gun control while being on recess this past month, she said.
"Mitch McConnell just had to make a call and get everyone back," said Klobuchar. "(President Donald) Trump could have gotten them back. The president the president has numerous times, including with me sitting across from him after Parkland at the table in the white house, he told me he wanted to see the universal background check bill. Nothing happens. He folds when he meets with the NRA (National Rifle Association.)"
Klobuchar also on Wednesday discussed calls for climate change legislation, noting that the matter also is an economic driver.
"Get the climate denier whiner out of the White House," Klobuchar said. "We have to look at this as cost versus benefit. It's going to cost us something like $500 billion every year if we keep doing this."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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