McCarthy offered proof of 'Do Nothing Congress'
By The Bakersfield Californian
I want to thank The Californian for the publishing the interview with Rep. Kevin McCarthy ("McCarthy talks 'fiscal cliff,' guns and role as whip," Jan. 13). Now we have proof as to why the 112th Congress had an abysmal approval rating (10 percent) and why it deserves to have the title of the "Do Nothing Congress," taking the title away from the 80th Congress of 1947-49.
The congressman was asked if he supported a ban on assault weapons. His answer was not "yes," nor was it "no." But he did equate ownership of AR-15 and M-16 assault weapons to ownership of a hunting rifle. That comparison is valid only if one is hunting other humans. The Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 was allowed to expire in 2004. Translation: Congress did nothing. Coincidently, this expiration is right before those 20 dead children at Sandy Hook Elementary School were born.
Paraphrasing his quote from Winston Churchill, McCarthy supports extensive discussion (aka inaction) before action. The data collected that created the 1994 bill still exists. It still has validity. And new statistics have been collected. But it is ignored. The new 113th Congress might be able to grab the title as the "Do Nothing Congress" if it abides by the philosophy he presented and supports.
Harry Love
Bakersfield
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