WASHINGTON — Republican leaders in Congress showed no interest Tuesday in pursuing gun control legislation, leaving Democrats to urge President Donald Trump to intervene in the aftermath of the shooting in Las Vegas.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said only Trump could alter the stalemate in Congress, which has been unable to approve new gun safety bills, despite majority public support after the nation’s repeated mass shootings.
“A small powerful lobby that represents a vast minority — a very small minority — of Americans seems to have a stranglehold on the Republican Party,” Schumer said, referring to gun rights advocates, including the National Rifle Association.
“Let’s see if he has the courage, the willpower to say, ‘I’m going to break with that small group’ and do something that makes common sense and Americans — in overwhelming numbers, Democrats, Republicans and independents — want.”
It is unclear whether Democrats will find a willing negotiator in Trump. The White House has not raised concerns over gun laws since the Las Vegas shooting, which authorities say is the nation’s deadliest, despite Trump’s interest in stricter gun measures before becoming president.
More certain Tuesday was that Republicans, who control Congress as the majority in the House and Senate, remain opposed to new legislation to clamp down on the purchase or ownership of firearms or related devices like those believed to be used by the Las Vegas shooter.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky warned Tuesday that it was “inappropriate to politicize” the issue while Americans were mourning lives lost and the investigation was continuing.
“It’s premature to be discussing legislative solutions, if there are any,” McConnell said.
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., said the shooting was a reminder of the importance of mental health services. He defended legislation passed by Congress earlier this year to roll back an Obama-era requirement for gun background checks for those who have a mental health conditions for which they receive Social Security disability benefits.
“Protecting people’s rights was very important,” Ryan said. “And that — that’s what that issue was all about.”
