New Mexico Delegation Reacts to Obama Gun Proposals

We asked the New Mexico congressional delegation to respond  to the president’s just-announced proposals to help reduce gun violence. Sen. Martin Heinrich and Rep. Ben Ray Lujan praised the proposal – or at least parts of it – and Rep. Steve Pearce said it wouldn’t solve the problem.

You can read about the president’s proposals here.

Heinrich, a first-term Democratic senator and avid hunter, called the president’s gun plan “pragmatic” and seemed to endorse Obama’s call for expanding background checks for gun buyers. Heinrich also said he appreciated the president’s emphasis on mental health issues as part of the  debate on reducing gun violence in America.

Pearce, a  five-term Republican, said the gun violence issue should be solved in local communities, not by the federal government. Here’s Pearce’s full statement:

“I am, and always have been, a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights.  More gun restrictions may allow Washington to congratulate itself, but will never change the sickness and depravity that drive someone to murder indiscriminately. Instead, let’s look to our communities, our churches, our doctors, and our families: the institutions that do have the power to solve the problem.”

Lujan said he would back the president’s call to restrict high-capacity magazines, although he was initially skeptical of such a proposal.

“I appreciate the recommendations President Obama has proposed, especially when it comes to universal background checks to prevent criminals and the mentally ill from getting their hands on guns and limiting high-capacity magazines,” Lujan said. “While I have expressed concern about limits on magazine capacity in the past, we have seen high-capacity magazines on any gun amplify the amount of destruction and loss of life that can be caused.  Focusing on the size of magazines is an important step to address these horrific events while taking into account 2^nd Amendment rights and our responsibility to promote public safety.”

Heinrich has opposed reinstating a so-called assault weapons ban but he suggested last month— after the Newtown, Conn. shooting, which left 20 children dead — that limiting magazine capacity would make sense. Although Heinrich’s initial statement today did not address the assault weapons ban or magazine capacity, his office provided more clarity in response to my question on his positions.

“Rather than trying to get members of congress to agree on what constitutes an assault weapon and what does not, a reasonable limit on magazine capacity would make much more sense,” Heinrich said in a statement.

Lujan also did not address the assault weapons ban issue in his initial statement. I asked his office for more clarity and they sent me this additional statement from Lujan, which seems to suggest he doesn’t think such a ban should be a priority. The word I’m hearing on Capitol Hill today is that such a ban is seen as less politically feasible – especially in the GOP-controlled House – than other measures in the president’s package of proposals.

“I think it’s important that we have discussions on all aspects of this debate and I’ll closely examine any legislation that comes to the House floor, however, I believe that addressing the size of high-capacity magazines and implementing universal background checks are the most effective policies to stop massacres that have become too common in our society,” Lujan said.

Here’s Heinrich’s entire statement released earlier today:

“I’m pleased that the Administration has proposed some pragmatic public safety measures that the vast majority of Americans—and especially gun owners—can embrace. I also applaud President Obama for prioritizing mental health services and ensuring that our schools, families, and communities have the tools they need to support the mental health of our kids.

“Keeping guns out of the hands of people legally prohibited from having them is a common-sense way to prevent gun violence.  Additionally, expanding background checks and creating serious penalties for selling firearms to criminals are ways to prevent gun violence without punishing law abiding gun owners.

“I have always believed that law abiding citizens should be able to own firearms for both sport and self-defense.  Like many New Mexicans, I own guns for both of these purposes. But like all parents, I was deeply affected by the events in Connecticut.  I will be taking a serious look at all of the legislative proposals aimed at preventing these horrific tragedies and intervening early where mental health is a concern. I’ll base my support for any legislation on whether it can realistically reduce the violence while still protecting the constitutional right to bear arms.”

Here’s what Heinrich said about high-capacity magazines last month.

“It’s no secret that I have always believed that law-abiding citizens should be able to own firearms for both sport and self-defense,” Heinrich said. “Like many law-abiding New Mexicans, I own guns for those very purposes. But I don’t need a 25-round clip for effective home defense, and I sure don’t need one for hunting. That’s just too much killing power. It defies common sense.”

Here’s Lujan’s full statement:

“I want to thank Vice President Biden for his hard work to put together proposals to address gun violence.  The shooting in Connecticut was a horrific tragedy and my prayers are with all the families and the community. It is one of many tragedies that reveal an alarming trend of gun violence in our society.  I am a supporter of the 2^nd amendment, however, in light of the many recent shootings, from Aurora to Tucson, and the heinous killing of innocent children in Newtown, we need to have this real discussion about how we balance these rights and the safety of our communities. 

 “I appreciate the recommendations President Obama has proposed, especially when it comes to universal background checks to prevent criminals and the mentally ill from getting their hands on guns and limiting high-capacity magazines. While I have expressed concern about limits on magazine capacity in the past, we have seen high-capacity magazines on any gun amplify the amount of destruction and loss of life that can be caused.  Focusing on the size of magazines is an important step to address these horrific events while taking into account 2^nd amendment rights and our responsibility to promote public safety.

 “A critical aspect is the role that mental illness plays in these tragic events and I am encouraged that President Obama is committed to ensuring more is done to provide help to those suffering from mental health issues, both for their sake and the benefit of our communities.”

I’ll be updating this blog today with more congressional delegation reaction as I receive it.