Rep. Costello Calls For 'Common Sense' Laws To Limit Gun Violence

WEST CHESTER, PA — In another step away from the far right wing of his party, U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello (PA-6) advocated on Tuesday for "common sense" legislative measures to reduce gun violence.

The comments came a week after the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School in Florida, when a gunman shot and killed 17 and injured numerous others.

“In the last year, too many times we have seen horrific and senseless tragedies committed by individuals who turned firearms on their innocent neighbors," Costello said Tuesday. "As a parent, I am deeply disturbed by the pervasiveness of such violence in our schools and public places. Tragically, these incidents are becoming all too common, and I share every parents’ concern about doing everything we can to prevent these senseless acts of violence."

The rhetoric eschewed the by now standard "thoughts and prayers" response of many lawmakers that has been widely pilloried by activists and victims of the violence. It also marked another step toward the center for a congressman whose recent statements controversies have been more characteristic of the far right of his party (accusing his challenger Chrissy Houlahan of being behind trespassers at his house without any proof; calling for the impeachment of judges who redrew the state's congressional districts).

Specifically, Costello says that he supports banning bump stocks, a measure which President Trump also supports. Costello also said that "increased and enhanced" background checks were needed. And he wants to defeat the concealed carry reciprocity legislation, which would allow individuals with concealed carry permits in one state to also concealed carry in another state, even if the state where they were permitted has much more lax standards.

“The time for talk has long passed," Costello added. "Unfortunately, there is no simple solution to this problem. This will take a comprehensive commitment at all levels of government and civil society, and we must work together to foster a healthy, productive, and open dialogue on how we can prevent incidents of violence before they occur."

According to the Washington Post, Costello has received $9,900 in campaign donations from the National Rifle Association, which was about average for a Republican congressman in Pennsylvania. The NRA also gave Costello an "A" rating in 2016.

Costello already faces an uphill battle in the upcoming 2018 race for re-election, as the newly redrawn congressional map would make the 6th district comprised of strictly Chester County. Analysts believe the new map as a whole will be a significant boon to Democrats.

While his advocacy of certain gun control measures does represent at least a somewhat bipartisan step, his challenger Houlahan is a more aggressive supporter of control. Houlahan supports additional measures like renewing the federal assault weapons ban, restricting high-capacity firearm magazines, and closing the "gun show loophole."

"Enough is enough," Houlahan said last week. "Shootings are such a regular occurrence that we cannot afford to wait. We need to have this debate now and take the precautions and legislative steps necessary to prevent future tragedies from occurring."

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan group of political analysts, recently upgraded the race for the 6th district to "toss up" following the announcement of the redrawn maps.

Image via U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello's Office