GOP senators unmoved by president's 'shame on us' campaign for gun control

The Senate won’t vote on the Democrats’ gun control legislation until next month, and President Obama’s bit of emotional political theater today is unlikely to sway many votes. He might have surrounded himself with human shields in the form of grieving mothers, but several GOP senators didn’t allow that to keep them from lobbing some shots in defense of law-abiding gun owners and the Second Amendment.

Sen. Ted Cruz has quickly demonstrated he isn’t shy about expressing his opinion, and today was no exception. In a statement, he called out the president on again taking advantage of the Sandy Hook tragedy to push his agenda.

I am committed to work w/ Sens. Paul, Lee, Rubio & Inhofe to protect constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans http://t.co/dNl6sdz0s6

— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) March 28, 2013

In any conversation about how to prevent future tragedies such as Sandy Hook, our focus should be on stopping criminals from obtaining guns. Unfortunately, the Obama Administration has failed to make this a priority — in 2010, out of more than 15,700 fugitives and felons who tried to illegally purchase a firearm, the Obama Justice Department prosecuted only 44. That is unacceptable.

It is saddening to see the President today, once again, try to take advantage of this tragic murder to promote an agenda that will do nothing to stop violent crime, but will undermine the constitutional rights of all law-abiding Americans. I am committed to working with Sens. Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Marco Rubio, and Jim Inhofe–and I hope many other colleagues–to use any procedural means necessary to protect those fundamental rights.

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) was among those opposed to gun control measures that protect little else besides the impression of caring about kids.

Like all Americans, I was shocked by the incredible tragedy in Newtown, and I’m committed to finding ways to prevent these senseless acts of violence. Unfortunately, President Obama is once again calling for gun control policies that restrict law-abiding Americans’ Second Amendment rights and fail to prevent tragedies like Sandy Hook.

I won’t support any proposals that infringe on Americans’ constitutional rights or ultimately prevent two neighbors from trading shotguns. Instead, I’m focusing my efforts on improving mental health policies to ensure we’re spending federal dollars more wisely when it comes to identifying, treating, and caring for people who are mentally ill.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and the offices of Sens. Marco Rubio and Jim Inhofe also issued tweets indicating they’ll oppose any effort to infringe on Second Amendment rights.

Senator @MarcoRubio Stands Against Effort To Infringe On Second Amendment Rights: http://t.co/T7UyVlNRzv

— Senator Rubio Press (@SenRubioPress) March 28, 2013

We should look for ways to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill prone to misusing them, but I oppose legislation that will be used as a vehicle to impose new Second Amendment restrictions on responsible, law-abiding gun owners. We should work to reduce tragic acts of violence by addressing violence at its source, including untreated mental illness, the lack of adequate information-sharing on mental health issues, and the breakdown of the family.

We must ensure that Constitutional rights are not taken away casually: http://t.co/rDhWy4SNmc #2ndAmendment #tcot @SenTedCruz @SenRandPaul

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) March 28, 2013

Push RT button. I just received word @MarcoRubio & Senator Inhofe have signed Paul, Cruz, Lee Letter to protect #2ndAmendment. @InhofePress

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) March 28, 2013

In a statement, Lee, who has promised to help Cruz and Sen. Rand Paul filibuster the gun control legislation, called the president’s “shame on us” speech “deeply unfortunate.”

Here is my response to the president's #guncontrol address: http://t.co/cGE1nPnrp2 #2ndAmendment #tcot @SenRandPaul @SenTedCruz

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) March 28, 2013

The proposals the president is calling for Congress to pass would primarily serve to reduce the constitutionally protected rights of law-abiding citizens while having little or no effect on violent crime. It is deeply unfortunate that he continues to use the tragedy at Newtown as a backdrop for pushing legislation that would have done nothing to prevent that horrible crime.

As the president said, the grief over Sandy Hook doesn’t go away. Fortunately, some senators understand that no amount of gun control can make that happen.