Fox 32: Orlando Shooting Response

The following interview aired on June 13, 2016. A link to the interview can be found here.

Corey McPherrin: “Politicians from around the state condemn the attack, including U.S. Representative Mike Quigley who serves on the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus.”

Natalie Bomke: “And the Congressman joins us over the phone this morning, good morning.”

Mike Quigley: “Good morning, thanks for having me on.”

CM: “Congressman, let’s talk about what you think maybe needs to be done now to ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again. Is it too early to talk about things like doing a better job with background checks? Is it too early to talk about gun control? Where do you stand on all these things?”

MQ: “I’ve been in Congress 7 years and you’d think from all the tragedies that have taken place, from Newtown to Arizona to here, and I’m always told that you can’t talk about this after a tragedy, it’s somehow using it for political gain. The fact of the matter is, we never talk about it. We haven’t even had a gun violence committee hearing in Congress in 7 years, so sure I think it is fair to talk about this. We have to. The fact is, if you have a weapon designed for a theater of war, with a 30-round clip, you’re not protecting your business or your home, you’re not hunting deer, you’re hunting people. So, the terrorist aspects of this aside for a second, we need to talk about assault weapons and whether they are necessary, and background checks. Now, what’s absurd beyond the pale here is: this person would have passed a background check even if he was on a no-fly list and a terrorist watch list. At this point in time, if we think you’re a terrorist, we can keep you off a plane, but you can still—with a background check—buy a weapon like this pursing you to kill fifty people.”

NB: “Yeah and that is just stunning to so many of us to hear, Representative. Let’s talk about the need to protect soft targets, especially here in the Chicago area. I know you have been an advocate of this.”

MQ: “Sure. I think what most Americans don’t know is something I’ve been advocating. We have cut Homeland Security grants, things that buy extra security personnel, cameras, equipment in the last five years by fifty-percent. These are used for things like the cameras that the CTA puts up that reduce crime by fifty-percent in those areas. It makes no sense, after this attack or Boston or Paris or Brussels, for this country to be spending half as much money as it was five years ago to protect us from terrorist attacks.”

CM: “We are looking at pictures from the Pride parade which is coming up, as you know, in less than two weeks. What about that parade and, I know there will be some who will be perhaps fearful, others will come out to support the community. Give your thoughts about that parade and how we can make sure everybody feels secure.”

MQ: “Sure. This is my 34th parade I will be participating in. I think the community is more galvanized than ever and the parade will be a single effort in that to unite the community to help heal wounds to move forward together. The President referenced an attack on any American is an attack on all Americans. I know there have been vigils in the past 24-hours there, will be more tonight, but I look forward to looking with the community to make sure the parade is as spectacular an event as it is every year.”

NB: “The last question I have for you, and I think this is a question that a lot of Americans have after this incident: what is the point of the watch list? Do they serve any purpose?”

MQ: “I think the watch list is something that the intelligence community uses, besides keeping people off of planes, to start targeting people they suspect. I think the list would have a lot more impact, if for one, it automatically puts you on the nix list, which is a list that checks your background check to purchase a weapon. So I think the list would have some real value if it was automatically also putting someone we are suspecting of being a terrorist on a list that means they can’t purchase a weapon like this. And just for reference, the General Accounting Office has determined that people on these lists have purchased weapons numbering in the hundreds in the last several years. So your point is a good one, this list has to mean something besides “we don’t put you on a plane.” I know there are those out there who are so concerned about protecting people’s Second Amendment rights that they are seemingly extending those rights to people they think are terrorists.”

CM: “Congressman Mike Quigley, thank you so much. We appreciate your time.”