As mass shootings continue to plague the United States, most recently in Odessa, Texas, Americans are calling for action to be taken to stem the epidemic. Among the calls to action are universal background checks, which would close federal loopholes and require background checks for private sales. While many states have laws requiring background checks for private transactions, they aren't required under federal law.
Congressman Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) wants to keep it that way. His state, which has had at least two mass shootings in 30 days, loosened gun laws the day after the Odessa shooting.
Crenshaw took to Twitter to rail against calls for background checks, lamenting that they would prohibit him from letting friends "borrow" his guns.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) soon responded, incredulous that he'd loan guns to friends he didn't think would pass a background check.
Crenshaw bristled at the statement.
Ocasio-Cortez then pointed out to him that Crenshaw himself said that background checks would forbid him from loaning guns to his friends.
As for the claim that Crenshaw's friends could be domestic abusers, Ocasio-Cortez followed up in a thread regarding the relationship between guns and domestic violence.
She's right.
According to FBI statistics, more than half of women murdered by a partner are killed with a gun. Ocasio-Cortez pointed out that the House of Representatives passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in April, which closes the "boyfriend loophole" by extending gun prohibition to convicted domestic abusers who weren't married to their victim or don't have a child with their victim.
People applauded Ocasio-Cortez's conviction in rebuking Crenshaw.
In addition to closing the Boyfriend Loophole, the House of Representatives passed an expansive gun reform bill in February, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has let it stall in the Senate. He says he's waiting for Trump's endorsement to bring any gun legislation to a vote.
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