Despite a mounting death toll across the United States as a result of mass shootings, Republicans in Congress continue to block any legislation which would make it harder for Americans to have easy access to guns such as the AR-15 assault rifle which has been used in a series of horrific crimes over the past couple of weeks, including the deaths of 19 elementary school children in Uvalde, Texas last week.

And now we have Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) saying we don’t need gun control and urging voters to take their weapons to the polls in November to make sure they aren’t subjected to “intimidation.”

Gaetz made his remarks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday for a debate on the “Protecting Our Kids” Act, according to The Hill:

“I sort of like [Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas] Massie’s legislation that maybe everyone who’s a voter or on their way to vote ought to have the opportunity to carry a firearm to ensure that they’re not subject to any intimidation.”

Of course, this is the same Matt Gaetz who suggested last week that Americans need AR-15s for the purpose of “target hunting” and “hog hunting.”

Gaetz’s call for voters to take their guns to the polls would be a direct violation of the law in at least 12 states, including the congressman’s home state of Florida, according to the Los Angeles Times, which also notes that federal law prevents voter intimidation:

Federal law bans voter intimidation, which can include obstructing access to polling places, addressing voters while wearing uniforms or military-style clothing or writing down people’s license plate numbers. Brandishing a weapon in a threatening way would also qualify as voter intimidation.

But not all states protect voters, according to a 2020 study from Guns Down and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, including Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin, five swing states that helped make Joe Biden president.

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