Republican Texas Rep. Roger Williams is calling on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to pass a bipartisan school security bill he introduced in 2021, rather than the slate of gun control legislation the House Judiciary Committee passed Thursday.
The Safer Schools Act of 2021, co-sponsored by nine Democrats and six Republicans, creates a program in the Department of Justice that would fund security analyses and improvements at primary and secondary schools. It remains under consideration in the Judiciary Committee.
The same committee passed along party lines a gun control package that would prohibit adults under 21 from purchasing some semi-automatic rifles, expand regulation of bump stocks and require gun owners to use gun safes or other approved storage devices. (RELATED: ‘You Want To Pack The Supreme Court’: Debate Over Gun Rights For 18-Year-Olds Devolves Into Shouting Match)
“The American people deserve to see concrete actions from Washington instead of hollow political promises,” Williams writes in the letter, obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller. “We must put partisanship aside and work together on solutions that will have a meaningful impact in keeping our students and teachers safe.”
Pelosi’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment on the letter.
Read the letter here:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn is negotiating with Democrats over a package that will reportedly incentivize states to pass red-flag laws, and may also add juvenile criminal records to federal background checks. Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is also involved in the negotiations, recently floated a certification program that would allow veterans to work as armed school security guards.
“Instead of finding common ground to ensure the safety of our students and educators, Speaker Pelosi has chosen to bring forth partisan gun control bills that have no chance of becoming law,” Williams said in a statement to the Daily Caller.
“After the Parkland shooting in 2018, I worked with school safety groups, law enforcement organizations, and Democrats to find real solutions to keep students and teachers safe. These efforts culminated in the Safer Schools Act which proactively addresses school security vulnerabilities and would have a tangible difference in making our classrooms more secure. Speaker Pelosi must stop trying to strip law abiding Americans of their Second Amendment right and bring forth concrete solutions to prevent these atrocities from happening in the future.”