"They’re all cowards!”: Rep. Jamaal Bowman confronts GOP colleague on guns

Dem explodes, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie tried — but failed — to push back

By Sophia Tesfaye

Senior Politics Editor

Published March 29, 2023 7:54PM (EDT)

U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) speaks at a news conference on March 22 in Washington, DC. (Photo illustration by Salon / Getty Images / Alex Wong)
U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) speaks at a news conference on March 22 in Washington, DC. (Photo illustration by Salon / Getty Images / Alex Wong)

"They're cowards! They're all cowards!"

New York Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman took to the cameras on Wednesday and ripped Republicans in front of a gaggle of reporters. The impassioned outburst came after lawmakers left votes on the House floor and days after a gunman killed three students and three adults at a Nashville elementary this week. 

"They won't do anything to save the lives of our children at all. Cowards!" Bowman said. "Question them. Force them to respond to the question, 'Why the hell don't you do anything to save America's children?' And let them explain that all the way up until 2024."

Then Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, walked in front of Bowman and interrupted him. 

"What are you talking about," Massie asked. "You know, there's never been a school shooting in a school that allows teachers to carry," he said.

"Carry guns? More guns lead to more dead!"

Bowman continued to press Massie, a co-sponsor of a bill to repeal the federal Gun-Free Schools Act, even as other lawmakers walked past the two.

"I was in cafeterias protecting kids every day of my career," Bowman, a former middle school principal, said.

"You're just screaming at me," Massie said in retreat.

Other House Republicans have raised eyebrows this week with their reactions to Monday's school shooting.

"Criminals are gonna be criminals," said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-TN. "We're not going to fix it."

 


By Sophia Tesfaye

Sophia Tesfaye is Salon's senior editor for news and politics, and resides in Washington, D.C. You can find her on Twitter at @SophiaTesfaye.

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