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Some ‘Lawmakers Love Their Guns More Than They Love Their Kids’ Says White House Contender Rep. Eric Swalwell

By Alyson Klein — April 08, 2019 1 min read
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Gun safety became a huge issue after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., last year. And Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who announced Monday that he’s running for the Democratic nomination for president, wants to see it continue to resonate in the 2020 primary.

“I’ve talked to kids who sit in their classroom wondering if they’ll be the next victim of gun violence and they see Washington doing nothing about it after the moments of silence,” said Swalwell, in a video clip announcing his presidential run that was shared on social media by the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “And they see lawmakers who love their guns more than they love their kids.”

In fact, on Tuesday, Swalwell will hold a town hall in Coral Springs, Fla. Helping him out: Cameron Kasky, a Parkland survivor, who has become a leader in March for Our Lives, a grassroots movement by students to combat gun violence, according to the Atlantic.

Beyond gun safety, Swalwell says on his congressional website that he wants to invest in school technology, reward good teachers, and expand after-school programs. And he goes on, at length, about college affordability.

Swalwell joins a very crowded Democratic field. Want an early cheat sheet on the contenders? We got you covered.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., brings up the separation of families at the border during a joint hearing of the House Committee on the Judiciary and House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform examining the Inspector General’s report of the FBI’s Clinton email probe, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, June 19, 2018 in Washington. --Jacquelyn Martin/AP

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