Rep. Ruben Gallego (D., Ariz.) said Tuesday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) had "caused so many deaths in this country" by not taking up Democratic-passed gun legislation.
Following mass shootings over the weekend in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, that left at least 31 dead, McConnell has come under criticism from Democrats for not allowing a vote on House bills on increased background checks and waiting times to buy guns.
"The one thing that's very consistent about Mitch McConnell, he could care less about anybody in this country except for himself and his donors," Gallego said on CNN. "He is the Grim Reaper. It's because of his actions that he's caused so many deaths in this deaths in this country by stopping commonsense gun reform laws from getting to the floor."
Gallego said McConnell and President Donald Trump "talk a good game after every shooting" but then hope others forget about tackling gun control reforms.
"The only way that we're ever going to stop this is by getting rid of Mitch McConnell and getting the Senate in control of the Democrats again," he said.
CNN host Anderson Cooper noted there was no indication that universal background checks would have prevented the killers in Dayton and El Paso from attaining their weapons, but Gallego interrupted to call it "false logic."
"As for an assault weapons ban, the less you have weapons, the less they are used. It's just common sense," Gallego said. "Just because we can't get something down to zero doesn't mean we don't pass laws. That's like us not having DUI laws because we can't stop all DUIs. That's just a bunch of NRA BS to try to basically continue to sell as many weapons as possible."
Left-wing protesters gathered outside McConnell's Kentucky home on Sunday, with one shouting, "F— your thoughts and prayers." He is seeking a seventh term in office in 2020.