Representative Diane Black (R., Tenn.) criticized the Senate deal to vote on new gun control measures on Thursday.
In response to a short filibuster initiated by Senate Democrats on Wednesday, the Washington Post reported that Republican leadership agreed to allow a vote on several new gun control initiatives.
"Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D., Nev.) on Thursday said that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) indicated early in the morning that he would allow votes on 'two important gun safety measures' as part of a pending bill to fund certain government agencies, including the Justice Department," the report said. "McConnell said that nothing was finalized, but that leaders would 'try' to schedule votes on proposals 'from both sides.'"
Black said advocating for new gun control measures in response to the terror attack in Orlando, Florida, is "delusional."
"Anyone who thinks that another gun control law will thwart the will of a radical Islamist who is intent on taking an innocent life is delusional," she told the Washington Free Beacon. "As a firearm owner myself, I believe that instead of eroding the 2nd Amendment, we must expand these rights so that Americans are empowered to protect themselves from those who would do us harm."
The Tennessee representative and gun rights proponent said measures like increasing access for those with concealed carry permits would be a better response to terror.
"This means passing legislation like the National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act, so that law abiding citizens can take their firearms with them wherever they may travel within the United States," she said. "It also means curtailing the use of so-called ‘gun free zones’–which is exactly where this terrorist attack in Orlando occurred.
"My greatest wish in the wake of this atrocity is that an armed civilian bystander would have been able to apprehend this terrorist before he inflicted further harm, but under Florida state law, such a person would have been committing a crime themselves."
"The proposals slated to be considered in the Senate will only serve to deny Americans their right to due process and risk disarming citizens who have committed no crime. If such measures come before the House, I will vote against them. It is time our lawmakers read their Bill of Rights and took the words ‘shall not be infringed’ to heart."