Hillary Clinton Takes Aim at Sanders on Gun Policies

Hillary Clinton came after Senator Bernie Sanders on guns at a New York State rally on Monday, suggesting weapons coming out of his state are frequently used to commit crimes in the Empire state.

The Vermont Senator has defended votes against stronger restrictions on gun manufacturers by saying that as a representative of a rural state he has voted to protect the rights of his constituents. At a rally in Port Washington, Politico reports, Clinton suggested that reasoning was not sufficient.

“Most of the guns that are used in crimes and violence and killings in New York come from out of state. And the state that has the highest per capita number of those guns that end up committing crimes in New York come from Vermont,” Clinton said. She attended the event with family members of victims of mass shootings, Politico reports.

“It’s easy to cross borders. Criminals, domestic abusers, traffickers, people who are dangerously mentally ill — they cross borders too. And sometimes they do it to get the guns they use,” Clinton said. “This has to become a voting issue for those of us who want to save lives.”

Sanders has come under fire for voting in favor of a bill that would give gun manufacturers immunity from lawsuits if their weapons were used in tragic events. Victims of mass shootings gathered for a rally in New York on Friday, where they criticized Sanders’ stance on gun manufacturers.

Sanders defended his stance on guns in a recent interview with the New York Daily News saying he has received a “D rating” from the National Rifle Association. He also indicated he’d be willing to consider suits in some cases.

“Do I think that that gun dealer should be sued for selling me a legal product that he misused? [Shakes head no.] But I do believe that gun manufacturers and gun dealers should be able to be sued when they should know that guns are going into the hands of wrong people,” Sanders told the New York Daily News. ” I think there are grounds for those suits, but not if you sell me a legal product.”

[Politico]