GOP lawmaker Greg Steube pulls out his guns during Congress session

Greg Steube, a Republican lawmaker in the United States, pulled out his guns while addressing House Judiciary Committee on Thursday. He pulled out the weapons during an emergency session of the Congress that was organised after the Uvalde school shooting, which killed 19 young students. 

House of Representatives lawmakers were discussing a ban on assault weapons in the United States, a measure that was suggested by President Joe Biden later on Thursday.

Also Read: Gun reforms that Joe Biden wants US Congress to take up

“Here is a gun I carry every single day to protect myself, my family, my wife, my home”, Florida Republican Steube told the committee while holding up four weapons. He was attending the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday virtually.

“I am at my house. I can do whatever I want with my guns”, he added. Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, interrupted the Florida lawmaker. “I hope to God that is not loaded”, he said.

While speaking about a bill that would increase the minimum age to purchase a semi-automatic rifle from 18 to 21, Steube argued that it would also restrict law-abiding citizens from buying a weapon of their choice. 

Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, the top Republican on the committee, said no one wants another tragedy. But he insisted the House bill would do nothing to stop mass shootings.

The final vote to advance the bill was 25-19, with Democrats accounting for all the yes votes and Republicans accounting for all the no votes.

Also Read: Joe Biden calls on Congress for arms control to end ‘gun violence epidemic’

The United States Senate is taking a different course, with a bipartisan group striving toward a compromise on gun safety legislation that can win enough GOP support to become law.

Those talks are making “rapid progress,” according to Senator Susan Collins of Maine, one of the Republican negotiators, according to reports from Associated Press.