King will push ahead with gun bill despite GOP leaders' opposition

Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) said he expects to move forward with new gun control legislation, despite the opposition of his party's leaders.

King, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said that most Republicans agree with his proposed legislation to outlaw bringing a firearm within 1,000 feet of a member of Congress.

"Yes, I expect to go forward, and it's not a disagreement I have with many people in the Republican Party," King said on Fox News.

Both Speaker John BoehnerJohn Andrew BoehnerWhat's a party caucus chair worth? Biden's relationship with top House Republican is frosty Maher chides Democrats: We 'suck the fun out of everything' MORE (R-Ohio) and House Majority Leader Eric CantorEric Ivan CantorVirginia GOP candidates for governor gear up for convention Cantor: 'Level of craziness' in Washington has increased 'on both sides' White House says bills are bipartisan even if GOP doesn't vote for them MORE (R-Va.) have said they oppose King's bill, which he proposed earlier this week following the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) at a constituent event.

King's bill is one of several proposed by members of both parties in the wake of the assassination attempt against Giffords. On the Republican side, Rep. Louie GohmertLouis (Louie) Buller GohmertPence to give keynote address at National Conservative Student Conference Gaetz, House Republicans introduce bill to defund Postal Service covert operations program 136 Republicans get Fs in accountability rankings from anti-Trump GOP group MORE (R-Texas) has proposed allowing members to carry guns in D.C. and on the floor of the House. On the Democratic side, Rep. Robert Brady (Pa.) wants to outlaw language or images that threaten lawmakers, and several other lawmakers have proposed restrictions on the kind of extended magazine clips the alleged shooter used in the attack against Giffords.

The New York Republican argued that his legislation would give law enforcement greater leeway in preventing threats from manifesting against members of Congress at the kind of constituent event Giffords had been holding.

"So it's to, in effect, protect the people who are coming and also give the police the extra power they would need, so that if they do see someone with a gun or someone who might have a gun, they can go up and talk to them, question them, and escort them away," he said.