(CNSNews.com) - U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy implied Tuesday that congressional
colleagues who do not share his support for a failed gun ban being reintroduced
in the House are mentally ill. The Rhode Island Democrat also accused lawmakers
who oppose the anti-gun legislation of not caring about police safety.
Kennedy is the son of U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and the nephew of the
late President John F. Kennedy and U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy, both of whom were
shot to death.
The younger Kennedy made the comments at a Capitol Hill press
conference to promote the reintroduction of the "50 Caliber Sniper Rifle
Reduction Act." The bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), would ban
the manufacture of such rifles and severely limit the sale or transfer of
existing .50 BMG rifles except for those owned by the military or civilian law
enforcement agencies.
"Any policy maker who, on the one hand, says that they
are for combating terrorism but, on the other hand, will not back this
legislation, backed by Representative Moran, to me has a lot of explaining to
do," Kennedy said "In fact, I think it would be the definition of insanity to
say that."