ICYMI: Rubio on Red Flag Bill: I'll Come Back to Washington 'Right Away'

Interview

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) sat down yesterday with FOX 13 in Tampa Bay to discuss his "Red Flag" legislation and said that he would "be there right away" if Senate leadership called senators back from August recess to vote.

Earlier in the day, Senator Rubio sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) urging them to consider his bipartisan Extreme Risk Protection Order and Violence Prevention Act (S.7) during the committee's next executive business meeting.

A lightly edited transcript of the interview is below.

Rubio: "["Red Flag' legislation] makes all the sense in the world. Today, if you identify someone as dangerous, you can't do anything about the guns or the weapons they have until they commit a crime."

Rubio: "How it works in Florida, is that you have to go before a judge. It can only be a family member, or someone who lives with you, or law enforcement. You have to prove to a judge that this individual is a danger, and you have to meet a certain standard, and then they can issue a court order, which can't be any longer than a year."

Rubio: "In the case of Parkland back when it happened, in the case of Ohio today, and in the case of Texas, they do not have "Red Flag' laws. Meaning you cannot go to court today and remove a gun from someone no matter how many signs they've exhibited."

Senator Rubio also released the following statement after the tragic shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio:

"As a father, husband, and American, I am as concerned as anyone about the serious epidemic of violence plaguing our nation. Whether this violence is the product of radical jihadists, white supremacists, or personal grievances, too many killers have taken the lives of far too many innocent Americans. We must confront the societal and cultural issues that breed violence.

"Research has shown that the vast majority of these terrorists and killers exhibit clear warning signs before committing these atrocities. That is why I have offered a number of bipartisan proposals to help identify and stop them before they act. I will continue to push for these solutions and support any new law that can prevent these tragedies."

Background on Senator Rubio's Efforts:
Senator Rubio's bipartisan bills to prevent gun violence include his Extreme Risk Protection Order and Violence Prevention Act (S. 7). The bill would dedicate federal funds to incentivize states to enact red flag laws. Senator Rubio also introduced the Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety (TAPS) Act of 2019 (S. 265), which would create a task force of threat assessment experts to provide recommendations for a national strategy to keep communities safe from targeted violence. Senator Rubio also co-introduced the Stop School Violence Act, which was signed into law last March, and secured $100 million in funding to implement it. In February, Senator Rubio joined his colleagues in introducing the EAGLES Act (S. 495) to reauthorize and expand the U.S. Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) to help communities proactively mitigate threats of violence at schools.

Related:
August 6, 2019: Rubio Urges Judiciary Committee to Take Up His Red Flag Legislation
February 14, 2019: Rubio, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill Leveraging Secret Service Threat Assessment Program to Improve School Safety
January 31, 2019: Rubio, Sinema, Tillis Introduce Bipartisan Threat Assessment Prevention, And Safety (TAPS) Act of 2019
January 3, 2019: Ahead of One Year Anniversary of Parkland Shooting, Rubio Re-introduces "Red Flag" Bill
June 14, 2018: Rubio Secures $100 Million to Implement Stop School Violence Act

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