Rep. Moulton says gun control is possible after Orlando shooting

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Seth Moulton said he believes there's the possibility for real change on gun reform.

The Democratic representative wants three things: background checks for anyone buying a gun, for people on the no-fly list to be banned from purchasing guns, and assault rifles off the streets.

This renewed push comes days after 49 people were shot and killed in an Orlando nightclub.

Moulton told FOX25’s Sharman Sacchetti he was sitting down with Republicans on the House floor Thursday afternoon, and he believes some gun reforms could actually happen.

“From talking to my Republican colleagues these past few days, I think they want to take some action, they want to do something,” he said.

“They’re saying that there is movement on this. A lot of people want to make change. The people on both sides of the aisle recognize we need to take action to keep our communities safe,” he said.

Since the Orlando terror attack, Moulton has made headlines on Capitol Hill for pushing for more gun control. He walked out of a moment of silence and his tweet went viral with a picture of him on the battlefield in Iraq, saying that's where these weapons belong.

Some have criticized him, saying he’s being opportunistic, but Moulton said that’s ridiculous.

“The fact of the matter is right now there's more debate going on my Twitter feed and my Facebook feed than there is in the halls of Congress. And that's not us doing our job here in Washington,” he said.

Jim Wallace, who heads up the Gun Owners Action League, said the problem is bigger than what Moulton is suggesting. He noted that weapon Moulton is carrying in the Tweet is not available to the average person.

“Speaking as a former army veteran myself, Seth knows better than that. He knows that the firearm he used overseas is not the same firearm we have over here,” said Wallace.

Moulton said that is just technicalities.

“The fact of the matter is the AR15 is a derivative of the MR, which I was pictured with in that photo. It’s very similar, it operates basically the same. Those kinds of weapons of war have no place on America’s streets or America’s schools," he said.

Moulton says that removing assault rifles from the streets would make the country safer, but Wallace questions that.

Cox Media Group