Michigan Congressman calls for better background checks, bans on high capacity magazines

A Michigan Congressman is urging President Trump and the U.S. Senate to act on gun control after two mass shootings in just 13 hours last week. 

After last weekend's mass shootings in Dayton and El Paso, President Donald Trump promised action on guns would happen and even Tweeted that serious discussions were happening regarding meaningful background checks.

Congressman Andy Levin (D-Mich.) says he and others have volunteered to return to Washington from their break to deal with the issue. But he says the Senate won't make it happen.

"It's all about the Senate and Mitch McConnell," Levin said. "Clearly the senate is the one not acting."

Levin wants the Senate to act on proposed legislation that calls for universal background checks.

"We also would like to take up bans on high capacity magazines, bans on and military style weapons whose only purpose is to kill as quickly as possible," Levin said.

He also said they want to pass red flag laws but Levin is skeptical of the President's support for any action on guns.

"We know that you cannot trust what President Trump says, because he says one thing and changed his mind," Levin said. "My attitude is not to be optimistic or pessimistic - but to be persistent and so we just need to keep pushing until we win. No other country has anything like this number of deaths by firearm and we need to act."

Levin says it's not just the gun issue that needs to be addressed but also white supremacy.

"Domestic terrorism is a threat that we have to take very, very seriously and we need more concerted action on it," Levin said. "Whether you're Jewish, Muslim, black, latino - there have been these horrifying incidensts of white nationalists coming after people they perceive to be different and that's terrorism and we've got to stop it."