ABC, NBC, CNN guests weigh in on whether Congress will finally act on gun control: 'A different moment'

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ABC, NBC and more debate whether Congress will act on gun legislation: 'A different moment'

Guests and analysts on ABC, NBC and CNN weighed in on Sunday on whether Congress will act on gun legislation.

Media pundits debated on Sunday whether Congress will actually come together and act on a gun bill following the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting. 

During CNN's "Inside Politics," host Abby Philips said it was "not an exaggeration" that there was a "believe it when I see it" attitude toward gun legislation in Congress. She said what seemed different this time is that Democrats appear willing to take whatever they can get.    

CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox said both Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, have been in negotiations over gun legislation for months. She said the Connecticut senator views this moment as an opportunity to go back to the "negotiating table."

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"Perhaps Democrats are going to be willing to give up a lot more than they were six months ago and perhaps Republicans will be willing to give up more as well given what happened. And it's significant that Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told me last week that he asked Cornyn to engage in these negotiations," Fox said. 

Mitch McConnell asked Sen. John Cornyn to talk with Democrats about gun legislation, saying he was "hopeful" something would come out of it. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

She said that McConnell, R-Ky., doesn't often engage publicly about what he asks of his members, making this more significant. 

"The fact that he's giving his blessing there, I think does make this a different moment," she said. 

McConnell encouraged Cornyn to talk and find common ground with his Democratic colleagues on gun legislation and said he was "hopeful" a bipartisan solution could be found. 

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Philips noted McConnell is a "steadfast opponent to anything that resembles gun control." 

At the beginning of ABC's "This Week," Jonathan Karl asked if Congress "will finally act" after "decades of doing nothing." 

Karl asked if ABC guest and former DCCC chair Donna Brazile agreed with the "slight note of optimism" that something might be different this time. 

She said she was "not optimistic" about things changing. 

Donna Brazile said she was "not optimistic" about the possibility of Congress working together to pass gun legislation on ABC's "This Week." (Scott Eisen/Getty Images for Comedy Central)

"Because I have seen these cowards walk away before. I’m going to call them cowards. I have seen lawmakers stop right when it’s time to act and say, ‘Well, you know what, we’ll wait.’ Or they’ll accuse Democrats of politicizing and we’re not politicizing anything, we’re trying to stop the murder of innocent people, period. Children," Brazile said. 

She also called out politicians who appear on television to explain their plans about what they want to do and asked, "Why aren't you acting right now?" 

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During an appearance on NBC's "Sunday Today," Chuck Todd, host of "Meet the Press," told Willie Geist that the "this time is different" claims were cliché. 

"Forgive us for being a bit cynical here, but, can anything get done in this Congress?" Geist asked. 

Todd said that even if they get done "what is doable" that it would have no impact on the Uvalde shooting. 

"We dance around the problem here in Washington. Right? Particularly on the Republican side of the aisle, they don’t want to deal with the weapon," Todd said. "They, well, rhetorically talk about background checks and red flag laws, but let's see if they actually support them."

"Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd joined Willie Geist on "Sunday Today" to discuss the politics of gun legislation.  (Screenshot/NBC/SundayToday)

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Democratic Party leaders have pledged to make gun control a focal point in the upcoming midterm elections as Americans continue to see high gas prices and inflation. 

"I met with Sen. Cornyn this morning. As you know, he went home yesterday to see the family members and begin the fact finding of this awful massacre and I have encouraged him to talk with Sen. Murphy and Sen. Sinema and others who are interested in trying to get an outcome that is directly related to the problem. I am hopeful that we could come up with a bipartisan solution," McConnell told CNN on Friday.

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, among several other Democrats, have called for action on guns in the wake of the Texas elementary school shooting.