Can legislation be passed to help prevent mass shootings?
FORT WORTH, Texas - There have been three major mass shootings since Congress went on summer break, and gun control will be at the forefront of legislative conversations.
Calls are being made for reform on the local and national levels.
It's all happening as the NRA Home Safety Conference wrapped up Sunday in Fort Worth.
Both sides say something should be done, but the question is whether or not those sides come together.
It seems like a never ending cycle.
Mass shooting, thoughts and prayers, then calls for tougher gun laws.
“Everyone says they gotta do something, the question is what,” NRA member Ron Ambuter said.
The NRA expo in Fort Worth was scheduled before the recent mass shootings, but the gun control debate is once again the most talked about issue.
After the shooting in El Paso and the rolling rampage in Midland and Odessa, many hope that Congress can make some changes when members return to D.C.
“Washington is such a divided town, I highly doubt they can agree on left and right, and I don't mean parties,” NRA member Tracy Tippett said.
Some NRA members think new laws could HELP prevent mass shootings.
[REPORTER: “Does a law come to your mind that could be done to prevent something like this from happening in the future?”]
“I’m sure there are areas in the background checks, some areas in the ability to move guns from person- to-person is something that could be focused on. I don't know, they are just bad people that does bad things,” Ambuter replied.
While others think the laws already on the books need to be enforced better.
“Background checks, even through professional dealers, aren't considered by law enforcement, they are not enforced, they just wander along and do what they do,” Tippett said. “There have been multiple cases of criminal activity following past gun checks.“
On Friday, Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick pushed back against the NRA, saying laws need to be tighter, especially for private gun sales.
“They don’t know who they’re selling to. It could be a felon, it could be someone getting ready to rob a bank, or someone getting ready to commit a mass act of violence. We have to stop the stranger-to-stranger sales,” Patrick told FOX News.
Both sides think something should be done.
The question is, will Congress come together, or will the cycle continue.
“I'd do anything, I don’t care if it would resolve any of these issue or change anything,” Ambuter said.
Here in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott issued eight executive orders in reference to the recent mass shooting.
There are also bipartisan committees that were created in response to the shootings.