SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas -- U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) paid a visit to the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs on Friday to meet with survivors of the November shooting.
Sen. Cornyn met Pastor Frank Pomeroy and local officials to discuss his Fix NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) Act, which President Trump signed into law March 23. Cornyn is also scheduled to meet with Stephen Willeford -- the man who chased and shot the man police believe killed 26 people at the church.
"As i was trying to grapple with the magnitude and, really, the evil that we saw that day, I asked myself, what can I do as one person to try to make sure something like this doesn't happen again," said Sen. Cornyn at Friday's press conference. "People demand that we do something...and the question I always have is 'what is that something you want us to do?'. Sometimes it strikes me as symbolism, the 'something' that people want us to do, but I was determined to make sure it was something that would actually save lives."
The Fix NICS Act was introduced by Sen. Cornyn after the tragedy in Sutherland Springs to strengthen the criminal background check system, and to ensure that convicted felons and domestic abusers cannot illegally purchase a firearm.
"I know Pastor Pomeroy, he prayed for some good to come out of this tragedy, and I think, with this legislation now being signed into law by President Trump, some good has come out of this terrible tragedy," said Sen. Cornyn. "[It's] something we wish had been avoided entirely, but that's not within our power. But what is within our power is to take reasonable, necessary steps to make sure that criminals can't acquire firearms by lying at the point of purchase, and that's what this legislation is designed to do."
Federal agencies and states will be required to produce NICS implementation plans focused on uploading all information to the background check system to show people prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms. The act will also hold the federal agencies accountable if they fail to upload the records.
The legislation was passed by Congress and then signed into law as part of the government funding bill.
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