Scalise: Shooting Hasn't Changed My Mind on Gun Rights

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Friday, 20 September 2019 03:22 PM EDT

Rep. Steve Scalise is a shooting survivor, but he said Friday that doesn't mean he's changed his stance on gun control.

"A lot of people thought I might," the Louisiana Republican told Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "I have always been a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and believe it is the background of our Constitution. This was something that was a fundamental right our founding fathers believed in and put it in the bill of rights when they saw people might try to take away gun rights of law-abiding citizens."

Scalise was shot in June 2017 when a gunman opened fire at lawmakers during their congressional baseball practice.

People use guns every day to defend themselves, he said Friday, and he is concerned when he hears people trying to take advantage of "bad situations" to take away gun owners' rights.

In many shootings, there have been breakdowns in the system, he continued, including the background checks not working properly because criminal records weren't put in.

"Different things happen like the FBI had a file on the Parkland shooter, saying he wanted to be a professional school shooter, and for whatever reason, they chose not to act on it," said Scalise. "So over and over again we see breakdown notice system. And the answer by liberals up here in Washington is to go take away the rights of law-abiding citizens. That's not the right way to approach it."

President Donald Trump does want to do what he can to stop school and mass shootings, Scalise added.

"He also is a strong supporter of those fundamental Second Amendment rights that I talked about and respect, the rights of law-abiding citizens," said Scalise. "That's where that line is you know, go find out what we can do to make sure that people that shouldn't have guns legally aren't allowed to have guns but are still getting them. Go and focus on those things."