Sen. Schumer calls on President Trump to go forward with gun control despite impeachment inquiry

On Sunday, Sen. Charles Schumer pushed the president to move forward with Congress’s long-gestating H.R. 8 legislation that would enact universal gun background checks and close loopholes that would allow dangerous individuals to purchase a gun. Photo Credit: Getty Images for Grey Goose/Tommaso Boddi

Sen. Charles Schumer said Sunday an impeachment inquiry and investigation into President Donald Trump’s alleged misconduct with Ukranian officials shouldn’t stop the commander in chief from addressing the nation’s most pressing matters, especially the issue of gun control.

On Sunday, the senator pushed the president to move forward with Congress’s long-gestating H.R. 8 legislation that would enact universal gun background checks and close loopholes that would allow dangerous individuals to purchase a gun. Schumer said he was concerned that the bills, which passed the House in February, would be further delayed following reports that Trump met with NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre last week.

"Allowing the NRA or other nefarious interests to call the shots amid this impeachment inquiry will only backfire on this White House," the senator said.

Schumer reiterated that public support for these bills is high, and that every day it sits on the sidelines, millions of lives are at risk. The senator noted that Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made it known that he will only move forward with the gun control bills only when the president deems that it is the appropriate time.

"This is all in the president’s hands," Schumer said.