Two lawmakers got into a war of words outside the House floor on Wednesday over measures to limit gun violence in schools in the wake of the massacre at The Covenant School in Nashville.
The heated back-and-forth between Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) started when the New York congressman yelled at his GOP colleagues as they left the chamber for not backing stricter gun control measures in the aftermath of Monday’s shooting, which left three adults and three children dead.
“They’re cowards! They’re all cowards!” Bowman, a former Bronx middle school principal, shouted near reporters, referring to the Republican members walking through the hallway.
“They won’t do anything to save the lives of our children at all. Cowards!” Bowman continued. “Pressure them. Force them to respond to the question, ‘Why the hell don’t you do anything to save America’s children?’ And let them explain that all the way up to Election Day in 2024.”
“They’re freaking cowards. They’re gutless,” Bowman screamed.
The tirade caught the attention of Massie, a gun owner and co-chairman of the House Second Amendment Caucus, who asked Bowman what he was raging about.
“I’m talking about gun violence,” Bowman replied.
Massie proceeded to try and explain to Bowman that arming teachers may be a way of countering school shootings, but Bowman wasn’t having it.
“You know, there’s never been a school shooting in a school that allows teachers to carry,” Massie said.
“Carry guns?”an incredulous Bowman responded. “More guns lead to more death!”
“Look at the data. You’re not looking at any data,” the New York Democrat added, as both men began to talk over each other.
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who is 83, attempted to intervene at one point, but he couldn’t get the attention of the irate congressman.
Bowman accused Massie of “carrying the water for the gun lobby” as the Kentucky Republican continued to try and make his point about arming teachers, telling Bowman at one point to “calm down.”
“Calm down? Children are dying,” Bowman shouted.
Massie walked away from Bowman and went over to talk with reporters after the representative of New York’s 16th District began to repeatedly ask, “Have you ever worked in a school?”
“You’re just screaming at me,” Massie said, as he went over to tell reporters, “We have guns here to protect us, and he doesn’t believe that kids should have somebody to protect them.”
Both congressmen shared video of the tense exchange on Twitter, with Massie writing, “He wanted to discuss solutions to school shootings, but when I offered a solution he began shouting. When he asked for data, I gave him data, but then he just shouted more. Bring facts. There’s never been a school shooting in the hundreds of schools that allow staff to carry.”
And Bowman’s tweet read, “Republicans won’t do SHIT when it comes to gun violence, but try to tell me to calm down. NO. We can’t calm down. People are dying everyday while we wait.”
