In last night’s Fios1 debate, Congressman Lance dodged offering his position on reinstating the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, claiming that he didn’t think it would pass the Senate.
Far from demonstrating his pragmatic side, this is a common refrain for Lance: dodging ownership on hot button issues that he can blame the Senate for not pursuing. He uses the same excuse to dodge taking concrete positions on immigration, the dreamers, comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation, and healthcare repeal.
This district needs their Congressman fighting for them in the House regardless of what’s happening in the Senate. While all eyes were on the Senate during the Kavanaugh hearings, the House quietly passed Tax Reform 2.0, where Lance voted to bar debate on two amendments that would have restored our SALT deduction.
The House, and Lance, could get plenty done without the Senate if they chose to. After all, he wasn’t looking for Senate sign off the first 64 times he voted to gut affordable healthcare. It was only on the last vote that he thought might actually pass, where he invoked his old standby.
With his answer, Lance has put his guiding principle in politics and public policy on display. For Lance, if the path is difficult it is not worth pursuing. We know Lance has a position on the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. He voted to repeal the New Jersey Ban while in the state legislature, and he voted to grant the mentally ill easier access to guns of all types just last year. We also know he wants desperately for you to believe he is a moderate, so rather than own up to positions he knows are out of touch with his district he passes the buck and blames the Senate. It’s insincere, calculating, and cowardly. The 7th deserves better.