California Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn on Twitter Monday night for voting against gun safety laws and accepting over $1 million in donations from the NRA over her career after the senator tweeted she was “ready to assist” in the wake of the deadly elementary school shooting in Nashville.
Blackburn, a Republican, tweeted on Monday, “Chuck & I are heartbroken to hear about the shooting at Covenant School in Nashville. My office is in contact with federal, state, & local officials, & we stand ready to assist. Thank you to the first responders working on site. Please join us in prayer for those affected.”
Later that night, Newsom responded with, “You received $1,306,130 in donations from the NRA. You voted against the most recent bipartisan gun package in June. If you’re so ‘ready to assist’ -- start by doing your job and passing commonsense gun laws that will help prevent tragedies like the one today.”
Newsom’s tweet is part of a broader push by Democrats nationwide to pass gun safety legislation. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) called for legislative action on the Senate floor in response to the Nashville shooting Monday, and President Joe Biden revived his push for a ban on federal assault weapons.
Blackburn voted against the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in June, stating that the gun control bill “would erode Americans’ constitutional right to bear arms.” The measure provides grants for states to implement so-called red flag laws, which allow for the temporary confiscation of firearms from individuals who are deemed threats to themselves or others, as well as other crisis intervention programs.
In January, Newsom denounced Republicans' inaction on gun control and called for federal action after two mass shootings in California left 19 people dead within days. Last month, Newsom announced new gun safety legislation that would strengthen the state's restrictions on who can carry a firearm in public.
Three adults and three children were confirmed dead following a mass shooting Monday morning at The Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville.
The 28-year-old suspect, Audrey Hale, was killed in an altercation with police. The woman had two “assault-style” weapons and a handgun, police said.
