WASHINGTON, D.C. -- North Carolina leaders on Capitol Hill offered words of sympathy after Tuesday’s deadly shooting at UNC Charlotte. However, Washington lawmakers remain divided on any potential legislative steps to prevent future acts of gun violence.
- Richard Hudson and other North Carolina lawmakers praised law enforcement for their response to the shooting
- The shooting comes the same week that Democrats in the U.S. House rolled out a plan to dedicate $50 million toward research on gun violence. The funding would be split between the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Asked about the funding plan, North Carolina Republicans instead highlighted alternative legislation they are working on
The images out of UNCC stopped Congressman Richard Hudson in his tracks. The 8th district representative is a member of ‘Niner Nation’ - a graduate of the school.
“This is home for me, this is my family. It’s just devastating,” he said. “The shooting happened in a building where I had classes, and it’s a place where I felt safe and students should feel safe.”
Hudson and other North Carolina lawmakers praised law enforcement for their response to the shooting. They also offered words of sympathy for the victims and their families and friends.
“This really hits close to home," said Rep. Ted Budd, R-13th District. "I want families, church communities, communities to pull together and support one another in this. That’s what we need. This is a time for friends. This is a time for loved ones to get together.”
“Our hearts go out to the families, to the UNC Charlotte community,” said Rep. David Price, D-4th District.
The shooting comes the same week that Democrats in the U.S. House rolled out a plan to dedicate $50 million toward research on gun violence. The funding would be split between the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Price was among those pushing for the funding, arguing gun violence is a public health problem.
“We have some information, we need to have more information about what can be done to mitigate this, what can be done to prevent it, what kind of measures work and what don’t,” he said.
Asked what the outcome of such research could be, Price said they may be able to provide guidance on better ways to store weapons, suggestions on how to improve gun design, and ideas for how to better screen individuals ahead of gun purchases.
If approved, it will be the first time in two decades Congress will have funded gun violence research at the CDC. It is unclear, though, how the proposal would fare in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Asked about the funding plan, North Carolina Republicans instead highlighted alternative legislation they are working on.
One proposal includes the creation of a ‘fusion center,’ boosting coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement. Republicans say it could help improve law enforcement’s ability to identify those who may pose a threat - allowing them to intervene.
“It’s a complex problem, I think it's going to take a complex solution,” said Hudson, who is a Republican. “It is important that we ask the question: how did this happen? Could this have been prevented? What do we have to do going forward?”