No matter the stances on gun control debated in homes across the nation, those on Capitol Hill and in the White House have the ultimate responsibility to shape the law.

Local lawmakers representing the Conroe area have stood firm against gun control measures in the weeks after the Parkland shooting.
In a mass email response to constituents, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he has continued to lead the efforts to fight gun control efforts.

“My support for the Second Amendment is unshakable,” Cruz says in the email. “It is imperative that our citizens are able to defend their property, families and lives. As the Solicitor General of Texas, I argued on behalf of 31 states in District of Columbia v. Heller, a landmark case that overturned a ban on firearms.”

Cruz faces U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, in the upcoming election. He said in an interview with NPR that Texas, with “a long history of gun ownership” can lead the gun control issue.

“… Texans are asking me to make sure that we have universal background checks, that we don’t sell weapons of war whose only purpose is to kill people as effectively and efficiently and in as great a number as possible,” O’Rourke said. “I want to make sure that their kids, their grandkids – that they are safe in their schools, in their churches, in their communities.”

The debate of teachers being allowed to hold a firearm is highly controversial within the high political offices. However, Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, said via email to The Prowler that he thinks the answers are going to come from the local level.

“Parents, teachers and principals know best regarding what is needed to keep our children safe, so I don’t think a one-size-fits all approach from Washington will work,” Brady, chairman of the Ways & Means Committee, said. “However, Congress can help address and strengthen the resources available for those with mental health issues, and make sure state and federal law enforcement agencies are held accountable for upholding existing rules and responding appropriately to warnings and red flags.”

Brady faces Democrat Steven David in the general election in November. David said he does not support arming teachers.

“I believe that there needs to be a closure of the private sale and gun show loopholes,” David said. “A federally licensed firearms dealer is required to perform a background check on someone trying to purchase a firearm. However, 40 percent of all firearms are purchased at gun shows or through private exchanges, meaning that 40 percent of guns sales are being transacted without a background check.”

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, introduced the Mental Health and Safe Communities Act of 2015 (S. 2002), which was later included in the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016, and was signed into law last year. Cornyn said in a statement that improving mental health is another way to prevent violent crime – a sentiment echoed by many Republicans in Congress.

“This is the debate we should be having—a debate that focuses on the root causes of mass violence, fully enforcing current law and addressing improvements for mental health care in America,” Cornyn said. “We can tackle these problems without curtailing Second Amendment rights, and I will continue to push for effective solutions that protect communities while preserving our constitutional liberties.”

The National Instant Criminal Background Check System relies on the sharing of records by federal agencies and state governments to ensure that individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm are not able to obtain them illegally.

Cornyn said federal agencies and state governments often fail to upload relevant information to NICS, allowing dangerous individuals and violent criminals to obtain firearms.

“This failure to share information had tragic consequences in multiple mass-violence events, including Blacksburg, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; and Sutherland Springs, Texas.” Cornyn said. “In each of these cases, a dangerous individual who was prohibited from purchasing firearms was able to pass a NICS Background Check despite criminal or mental health records that were not uploaded to the system.”

Cornyn will face re-election in 2020.