Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) on Friday said Democratic lawmakers should shut down the federal government until Congress passes stricter gun control laws.
“I’d love to see the Democrats stand up and say, ‘We’re going to shut down the federal government or threaten to shut down the government if we don’t get real gun control legislation,’ ” he told NY1 News.
{mosads}“It should be that high a priority. It is really sad and tragic and discouraging,” Cuomo said.
“It is such a failure of our political system and frankly such a blatant failure of the elected officials of this country,” he added.
Cuomo said the 2016 presidential field should make resolving gun violence a major part of their campaigns.
“I would like to see Hillary and the vice president and whoever else is in the race from both parties talk about the issue of guns,” he said.
“Rather than the political blather that is now going on, let’s put some real issues on the agenda and let’s put at the top: What are you doing to about guns?” Cuomo asked. “Let’s have that be one of the top priorities.”
Cuomo’s remarks follow a mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., that killed 10 students and injured seven Thursday.
Chris Harper Mercer, 26, allegedly interrogated victims about their religion before opening fire during the incident.
Cuomo boasted that a package of gun control laws his state passed in 2013 following a similar incident rank among the nation’s “best” overall.
He said similar efforts are not taking place at the federal level despite repeated firearms massacres in recent years.
“I close the front door to guns, they open the back door,” Cuomo said. “We have learned nothing.”
Harper Mercer reportedly died after exchanging fire with responding law enforcement officials on the college campus Thursday afternoon.
Multiple profiles have since emerged portraying him as an isolated recluse who disliked organized religion and admired the Irish Republican Army.
President Obama sharply criticized Congress for its inaction on tougher gun control laws during a tense press conference Thursday night.
Obama vowed he would continue sounding the alarm on firearms violence until lawmakers cooperate on legislation helping to prevent future tragedies.