After Parkland shooting Congress takes action: funds bulletproof vests…for themselves

National, Uncategorized,

A Congressional committee has voted to expand funding that provides bulletproof vests and other safety measures for fellow members even while speaker Ryan rules out gun control.

At a news conference after recently meeting with students representing victims of the Parkland high school shooting, House Speaker Paul Ryan said: Republicans would focus on law enforcement failures, not tighter gun control, in the wake of the latest mass shooting, which left 17 children and educators dead at a Florida school Feb. 14. 

The House did attach incentives for better sharing of gun crime data through the existing National Instant Criminal Background Check System, NICS, to a bill passed last December called “Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.” But Senate Democrats considered the NRA-promoted expanded concealed-carry act a non-starter and the bill remained in the House.

But ‘ in-House’ safety concerns come first it seems. The Hill.com reports that nine members of the Congressional Committee on House Administration (six Republicans and three Democrats) by voice vote, have arranged to spend more money to keep themselves and their colleagues safe from gun violence.vested interest

The Committee on House Administration passed the measure by voice vote, amending the Members’ Congressional Handbook to define bulletproof vests for members as a “reimbursable” expense.

The amendment allows members to use taxpayer dollars to hire security personnel for events like town halls, to accompany them “during the performance of their official duties” or to be stationed at their district offices.

This increase in personal-safety funds comes on top of a previous increase they granted themselves following the shooting and wounding of Congressman Steve Scalise at a GOP baseball practice last summer. That measure provided each member an extra $25,000 for office and public-event security.

Maybe when they have provided themselves enough-bullet proof vests and security guard funding to feel safe they could schedule the time and courage to tackle the issue of gun violence for everyone else — you know, high school students and the general public, their constituents. Or, they could recycle some 1960s PSA’s advising the rest of us to just “duck and cover.”