Actor Matthew McConaughey called for bipartisan action on mental health reform, stricter gun legislation & consequences for people who violate gun laws in his appearance at the White House on Tuesday.
The Austin-area resident was visibly choked up while sharing stories of the families affected by the mass shooting at Robb Elementary that left 19 fourth graders and two teachers dead.
“There is a sense that perhaps there’s a viable path forward,” McConaughey said at a press briefing in the James S. Brady briefing room after he met with President Joe Biden.
Responsible parties in this debate seem to at least be committed to sitting down and having a real conversation about a new and improved path forward, a path that can bring us closer together
McConaughey didn't take questions from reporters after his remarks, which followed a recently published op-ed in the Austin American-Statesman, in which he said that “business as usual isn’t working.”
McConaughey flirted with the idea of running for Texas governor last year but later opted out, saying he wanted to instead focus on “creating pathways for people to succeed in life.”
The self-proclaimed responsible gun owner was noncommittal to a political party at the time, describing himself as “aggressively centrist.”
“We need responsible gun ownership. … We need background checks,” he said Tuesday. “We need to raise the minimum age to purchase an AR-15 rifle to 21. We need a waiting period for those rifles.
We need red flag laws & consequences for those who abuse them.” In Texas, 18 is the legal age to buy a rifle. The Uvalde shooter purchased two AR-platform rifles within days of turning 18 last month.
Since the shooting in Uvalde, Texas Republican officials have repeatedly made calls for action on mental health but have otherwise been noncommittal to reforming gun laws.
Gov. Greg Abbott recently asked the state Legislature to form special committees to make recommendations in the aftermath of the massacre.
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