LaMalfa finally spoke about gun violence. It's as bad as you imagined.

{NAME}, A CD-1 voter recently wrote to Rep. LaMalfa about gun violence in America. She forwarded to me the email she received in response. It is a brain-dead mishmash of empty platitudes. I've been critical of LaMalfa's cowardly silence on this issue: he has said nothing about guns on either Facebook or Twitter since the May 14th shooting in Buffalo or the shooting in Uvalde this week. However, after reading his email, I can understand why he has kept his 'thoughts" to himself. The maxim "Better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt" definitely applies to LaMalfa's views on gun violence. I've included his full response at the bottom of this email. In the very first paragraph, LaMalfa tries to deflect from Buffalo and Uvalde. Instead of confronting his constituent's concerns about "gun violence," he switches to "violence" in general. It is transparently dishonest. But that's just the first paragraph! LaMalfa goes on to say that "regardless of how strictly we write our laws, criminals will always be able to acquire weapons." Is LaMalfa proposing that we not have any laws, because SOME criminals will surely break them? For someone who professes to care about "law and order" so much, that is a very strange stance to take. Then there's the inevitable GOP pivot to mental health. To be clear, LaMalfa does not want to do anything about either mental health or gun violence. He claims that he wants to increase mental health funding, but this bald-faced lie is contradicted by his voting record. He writes that he wants "to provide additional tools to local law enforcement to ensure more effective treatment for the individuals with mental health conditions." This coded misuse of simple English is what turns so many voters off politics: LaMalfa isn't interested in "fixing" anyone. He simply wants to make it easier for cops to lock people up under the guise of "mental health" concerns. LaMalfa's second pivot is to criticism of "soft-on-crime" policies (which clashes with his earlier dismissal of stricter gun laws), early release (even though the shooter had never been jailed or imprisoned), and porous borders (even though the shooter was born in the U.S.). It's a trifecta of misdirection and is even more moronic than the current GOP push for "more locked doors." The fact is, we do need to give Law Enforcement more tools for keeping guns out of the hands of mentally-ill individuals. We do need "red flag" laws that allow a judge to authorize the temporary seizure of weapons whenever there is a reasonable fear that a crime is about to be committed. We do need better-integrated reporting systems and better tip lines for family members, friends, and strangers on the internet who want to report problematic comments. These reporting systems and tip lines would allow us to bar individuals from buying or holding weapons pending mental health evaluation or treatment. LaMalfa, however, wants none of this. LaMalfa answers to the NRA rather than to his voters, and the NRA wants to sell as many guns as possible to as many buyers as possible. Most Democrats want an assault weapon ban and are upset that I have a different opinion on this issue. (Yes, I do read the many emails I have received on the topic.) We disagree on one piece of the solution to the problem of gun violence in America, but we do agree that there is a problem and that the federal government has a role to play in making us safer. I want to reduce gun violence. I have concrete proposals for how to reduce gun violence. LaMalfa does not. LaMalfa is an overpaid coward who talks tough but does nothing. Just like the overpaid cowards in the Uvalde Police Department, he and the GOP always have an excuse for "waiting." I value your opinions, and I would appreciate your vote. Max Max Steiner is a combat veteran, foreign service officer, and Democrat running to flip California's 1st District from red to blue. Consider supporting Max's campaign by [making a grassroots contribution here.]( If you'd like to receive less email, add your name [here.]( We'd hate to see you go, but you can click here if you'd like to [unsubscribe](. Max Steiner is a combat veteran of the Iraq War and Sergeant First Class in the Army Reserves. Use of his military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of Defense. Max Steiner for Congress 2485 Notre Dame Blvd, Ste 370 #194 Chico, CA 95928 United States