From the pulpit of the Charleston church were nine African American worshippers were killed four years ago, Democratic presidential hopeful Cory Booker called on his fellow lawmakers to close the federal loophole named after the South Carolina city.
As the congregants gathered at Mother Emanuel AME Church Wednesday applauded, Booker called for the removal of "weapons of war" from public spaces like grocery stores, bars, places of worship and schools. He called for strengthening gun regulations _ "a policy that we know will save lives."
The U.S. senator from New Jersey urged leaders to pass legislation brought forward by South Carolina's U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, a Columbia Democrat and majority whip in the U.S. House.
"We have the power to act. And we can act to legislate safety even if we cannot legislate love," Booker said. "And that includes Jim Clyburn's legislation to close the loophole that enabled one man to take nine souls from this congregation."
Critics say that loophole _ which says if a background check is not complete after three days of waiting, a gun sale may proceed _ allowed Dylann Roof, an avowed racist and white supremacist, to buy the gun he used to take the lives of the worshippers who had invited him, a stranger, into their Bible study.
Booker's demands for change and for passing Clyburn's bill _ which would require a federal background check to be completed before a gun purchase can go forward _ echo those made by South Carolina lawmakers in the wake of mass shootings this weekend in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.
Both Clyburn and fellow South Carolina Democrat U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on Monday for refusing to bring Clyburn's Charleston loophole legislation for a vote in the Senate.
Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has called for passing "red flag laws," which would allow courts to issue protection orders to keep guns away from people deemed dangerous. His proposal was echoed by ally President Donald Trump.
The campaign stop was the last of Booker's latest swing through South Carolina, scheduled after the country was shocked by the weekend's deadly mass shootings. Throughout the trip, Booker has called for stronger gun laws and congressional action in the wake of the horrific events.
Booker also urged Americans to take a stand against white supremacy, a call also taken up by the Rev. Eric Manning of Mother Emanuel AME during his introduction Wednesday.
"Mother Emanuel knows all to well what it means to suffer at the hands of hatred and white supremacy and bigotry," Manning said. "We need leaders who speak out against hatred, bigotry and racism."
Roof was a white supremacist. Officials in El Paso believe the shooter their may be connected to a racist manifesto posted online just before the shooting.
"We know these are not problems that will go away inevitably," Booker said. "This is hard and painful and it will take hard work and sacrifice _ that is the nature of love."
