On Wednesday, conservative Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar, who represents Texas’s 28th congressional district, voted against raising the minimum age to access semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 in the House of Representatives’ latest legislation on gun safety.
In light of the Uvalde massacre, which led to the death of 19 children and two teachers just 80 miles away from Cuellar’s district, the Democratic politicians created a gun reform package with seven key provisions.
In addition to changing the age to purchase semi-automatic rifles, the bill also prohibits and creates penalties for gun trafficking, federally bans ghost guns, and requires manufacturers to include serial numbers.
Moreover, the bill mandates that all licensed gun owners store their firearms safely away from children or other non-licensed citizens who could get their hands on them.
The bill also restricts the accessibility of large-capacity magazines and ammunition, a specific provision in the bill Cuellar also voted no on.
Nevertheless, the bill passed in the House on majority party lines making its way to the Senate, where the odds are stacked against Democrats for final passage.
Cuellar is the same candidate Democratic leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Whip Majority leader James E.Clyburn and others, campaigned in support of against progressive candidate Jessica Cisneros.
Conversely, Cuellar sits comfortably in his nine-year term seat after a too-close-to-call election against Cisneros, where he leads by 281 votes.
Thursday morning, Cisneros was granted a recount by the Texas Democratic Party, with the recounting set to start June 16, according to CBS News.
In addition to voting against gun safety legislation, Cuellar voted against other Democratic majority policies, including the Whole Women’s Protection Act, which would federally protect a pregnant person’s right to an abortion.
The Signal reached out to Cuellar’s office for comment but has not heard back.
Kennedy is a recent graduate of the University of St.Thomas in Houston where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Celt Independent. Kennedy brings her experience of writing about social justice issues to the Texas Signal where she serves as our Political Reporter. She does everything from covering crime beats, Texas politics, and community activism. Kennedy is a passionate reporter, avid reader, coffee enthusiast, and loves to travel.
