SAN MARCOS, Texas — As Beto O'Rourke continues to speak on gun reform following the mass shooting in El Paso, Sen. John Cornyn is saying that the 2020 presidential candidate may have "set back the discussion."
Cornyn is on the campaign trail, fighting for his spot against seven democrats. The republican stopped in San Marcos Saturday at an awards ceremony for the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas (CLEAT). There, police officers from Texas cities such as Austin, El Paso and Midland were honored for going above and beyond.
When asked about O'Rourke's comments, Cornyn said lawmakers should focus on improving mental health services and background check systems.
"I think Mr. O'Rourke may have set back the discussion about common-sense solutions a couple of decades," he said. "Because there's no reason why we need to limit the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens."
Cornyn's comments came after O'Rourke sparred with other presidential candidates at the Democratic Debate Sept. 12. O'Rourke told voters he would take AR-15s and AK-47s away from Americans.
That night, Republican state Rep. Briscoe Cain tweeted, "My AR is ready for you Robert Francis," calling O'Rourke by his full first and middle names. That tweet was taken down by Twitter within hours, and O'Rourke's campaign said they planned to report the tweet to the FBI, according to CNN. It's against federal law to threaten "major candidates" for president.
His comments came after two August mass shootings in Texas, including one in O'Rourke's hometown.
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