Watch Florida Lawmakers Come to Bipartisan Solution on Guns in Remarkable New Day Segment

A major part of our job, here at Mediaite, is to highlight the most unique, original moments on cable news. On Monday morning, something truly rare, and indeed, truly remarkable happened.

Two Congressmen — one Republican, one Democrat — actually had a civil discussion on a hot-button issue. And that discussion resulted in genuine progress.

This all too uncommon happening, which almost seemed like something out of an Aaron Sorkin script, took place on Monday’s New Day. Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL) — whose district includes Parkland — squared off with House colleague Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) in a debate on guns. And the two, amazingly, appeared to get somewhere.

The conversation began with Curbelo declaring his openness to working out a solution on gun violence — with the Republican coming out in favor of age restrictions and universal background checks.

Deutch replied that he’s prepared to introduce legislation this week addressing those issues as well as the banning of bump stocks.

“Ted can put me down on his legislation right now,” Curbelo said. “I will add my name to it as soon as he is ready to file it.”

The Democrat appreciated Curbelo’s stance on the issue. But he noted his frustration with Republican leadership, namely House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI). After Curbelo said he spoke with Ryan and said the Speaker ” knows that we have a lot of work to do,” the Democrat sounded exasperated.

That excuse is so tired. There’s not a lot of work to do. The legislation for universal background checks, the legislation that says if you’re too dangerous to get on a plane you shouldn’t buy a gun, the legislation to raise the age is introduced this week. All of those will be ready to come to the floor next week. I don’t want to hear that it’s hard or we’ll talk about it at some point and he’s committed and engaging in a conversation and eventually having a vote. We should be voting on these things next week and he should come before the cameras and explain if he’s not prepared to do that, why won’t he let that happen?

Curbelo conceded the point, to a degree. But he beseeched Deutch to lay off Ryan and his ilk and instead come to the table in good faith.

“I think that Republican leadership is starting to realize that Americans aren’t going to accept that this is the new normal,” the Republican said.

He added:

I know that they’re aware that something has to be done. I’ve had very productive conversations and whatever we do is going to have to be done in a bipartisan manner in order for anything meaningful to happen. Unless one party controls 60 votes in the Senate, a majority in the house and the White House, it is going to have to be done in a bipartisan manner. And what I would propose that rather than pointing the finger, yelling at each other on television, what the American people want to see right now is that leaders are working together trying to find a way forward and that’s what I’m committed to.

“I appreciate that,” Deutch said — seeming to back off his criticism. “And I welcome Carlos’s involvement in what is a movement.”

New Day anchor Alisyn Camerota, who’s refereed her fair share of shouting matches, appeared pleasantly surprised by the not at all contentious chat she’d just moderated.

“It sounds like we’ve reached some common ground,” Camerota said.

Watch above, via CNN.

[featured image via screengrab]

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