Congressman Reverses Course On Gun Control After Mass Shooting in Hometown, Says He Takes ‘Responsibility For This Failure’

Democratic Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) called his past opposition to gun reform legislation a “failure” following the horrific mass shooting in his hometown of Lewiston, Maine, that killed at least eight and seriously injured scores more of his constituents.

Golden, a native of Lewiston, spoke at a news conference in the city on Thursday:

I have opposed efforts to ban deadly weapons of war like the assault rifle he used to carry out this crime. The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure, which is why I now call on the United States Congress to ban assault rifles like the one used by the sick perpetrator of this mass killing in my hometown of Lewiston, Maine. For the good of my community, I will work with any colleague to get this done in the time that I have left in Congress.

In 2022, Golden broke with Democratic Party lines to vote against a wide-ranging gun control bill following mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. The bill would have raised the age limit to purchase semi-automatics and would have prohibited ammunition sales of magazines with more than 15 rounds.

At the time, the Associated Press quoted Golden on his decision.

“Now is not a time for bills we all know will fail. Congress should not simply focus on ‘doing something’ but rather on doing something of substance that can pass into law and will advance the effort to prevent those with violent intent from obtaining or possessing weapons,” he said.

On Wednesday, police say Robert Card used a semi-automatic assault-style rifle to perpetrate the mass killing. He remained at large as of Thursday night.

Watch the clip above via CNN.