Tennessee senators Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn voted against a gun control bill on Thursday, but it passed and was sent on to the House.
Senator Hagerty said, “I have said for weeks that Congress should consider what it can do to address the root causes of senseless massacres that our country has seen far too often, but that any bill that infringes upon the Second Amendment right of law-abiding citizens would not have my support.
"Sadly, this legislation gives government officials and courts more power to restrict Tennesseans’ constitutional rights, which does not make anyone safer. This bill was also crafted without committee input or any opportunity to offer amendments on the Senate floor to improve or meaningfully examine the provisions.”
Senator Blackburn said, "Enhanced funding for school security and mental health treatment is a good thing, but it’s being combined with giving the left a foothold to limit the Second Amendment.
"I voted against the gun control bill because Americans' constitutional right to keep and bear arms is not negotiable."