Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) got into a heated exchange about guns in the halls of Congress on Wednesday.
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes aired a snippet of the clash on All In.
“More guns lead to more deaths!” Bowman yells at Massie. “Look at the data! You’re not looking at the data!”
Bowman repeats his “data” remark several times.
“States that have open carry laws have more deaths! Are you listening to what I’m saying?” he says.
Massie motions to Bowman to calm down as others stood watching the exchange and some try to separate the congressmen.
“Calm down? Children are dying! Nine-year old children!” an animated Bowman shouts.
A reporter from The Hill caught another angle of the exchange, during which Massie advocates arming teachers.
Massie is a major proponent of Second Amendment rights and even posted a Christmas photo of him and his family all holding assault-style rifles. Earlier this week, Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) was sharply criticized for previously posting a Christmas photo of his family in the same manner.
Ogles represents the Nashville district where Monday’s shooting at a private Christian elementary school killed three children and three adults, before police killed the shooter. The tragedy reignited the debate between liberals and conservatives about gun reform.
Republicans are avoiding blaming guns for such massacres, instead blaming mental illness and even “evil” and “demonic possession” for mass shootings.
