Cicilline: O’Rourke’s AR-15 comment ‘doesn’t help’

Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) said Sunday that former Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s (D-Texas) comment that “hell yes, we’re going to take” assault-style rifles is unhelpful but noted that no one has proposed such a thing legislatively.

“That message doesn’t help but the reality is we passed two important gun safety proposals back in February” including universal background checks, Cicilline told “Fox News Sunday” guest host Bill Hemmer.

{mosads}As to whether any gun confiscation is imminent or being proposed in Congress, Cicilline added, “that’s just not true, there’s no proposal to do that in Congress.”

“We know background checks work,” he added. “We have to do something, the American people are demanding we do something … I grew up and we did fire drills, that was the scariest thing we did, now young children are doing active shooter drills.”

This week on Fox News Sunday: Rep David Cicilline discusses possible gun action including background checks. #FNS #FoxNews pic.twitter.com/HetiZp4ted

— FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) September 15, 2019

Cicilline is one of several Democrats who pushed back against O’Rourke’s remark, which others have said could be used as an attack by Republicans.

Sen. Christopher Coons (D-Del.) said Friday “that clip will be played for years at Second Amendment rallies with organizations that try to scare people by saying that Democrats are coming for your guns.”

South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D), O’Rourke’s fellow Democratic candidate for president, made similar comments Sunday, agreeing with CNN’s Jake Tapper that the remark could play into Republican hands.