House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) waded very carefully into the gun-reform debate Thursday, saying she backs President Obama’s vows to fight gun violence without calling for tougher laws.
Obama on Wednesday addressed the gun reform issue for the first time since Friday's shooting rampage in a Colorado movie theater killed 12 and injured another 58. But the president was very cautious not to push for any specific legislation, which many lawmakers increasingly see as a liability in the face of blanket opposition from the powerful gun lobby.
Pelosi on Thursday said Obama's careful approach is the right one.
“I support what the president said yesterday,” Pelosi told reporters in the Capitol. “I thought his comments were very thoughtful [and] provided leadership when he said we need to build a national consensus to reduce violence in our country.”
She's not the only Democratic leader bucking calls from some in the party to move swiftly to install tougher gun laws in the wake of the Colorado massacre.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), a strong gun-rights supporter, dismissed the idea that the Senate would consider gun-control legislation — or take the lead on that issue — anytime soon.
“With the schedule we have, we’re not going to be able to do anything on gun control,” Reid told reporters.
Last Friday's fatal shootings relaunched the debate over both the effectiveness of the nation's gun laws.
For more on Pelosi's remarks, click here.
