His plea for tighter gun restrictions comes two weeks to the day after an 18-year-old gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texa
His plea for tighter gun restrictions comes two weeks to the day after an 18-year-old gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where McConaughey grew up. The killings — along with a string of other mass shootings across the country in recent weeks — have ignited the gun reform debate in the U.S., as gun safety advocates press Congress to pass stricter laws.
Earlier Tuesday, McConaughey met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to discuss gun legislation.
McConaughey in his speech recounted stories of some of the victims of the Uvalde shooting whose parents he met when he and his wife, Camila Alves, visited the town last week. He appeared to choke up multiple times throughout the speech as he spoke about the young victims and their dreams.
At one point, McConaughey slammed the podium after he showed the green Converse sneakers one girl wore that were later used to identify her.
“Where do we start?” McConaughey asked. “… We start by making the loss of these lives matter.”
The actor also took a hit at “people in power” who he said had “failed to act.” He called on lawmakers to toss partisan politics to the side and instead find middle ground on the issue and pass gun regulations.
Negotiations in Congress on a bipartisan gun reform deal are ongoing, but it’s unclear whether Democrats and Republicans will come to an agreement on a package that would limit gun rights.
“Let’s admit it: We can’t truly be leaders if we’re only living for reelection,” McConaughey said.
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