CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Adriano Espaillat and Rep. Ro Khanna

Interview

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BURNETT: All right. We have new video of the mass shooting that killed 11 people, happening in Virginia Beach.

Right here, you are looking at a husband and wife reuniting just moments after the shooting. We understand that the woman there, his wife, she was in the building at the time. She says she was on the phone with her husband. That's just some of the images coming out. They, of course, are lucky to be together tonight.

I want to bring in Democratic Congressman Adriano Espaillat of New York and Ro Khanna of California.

Look, both of you were going to be on the program tonight to have a substantive and, I thought, fruitful conversation about impeachment of President Trump, but here we are again talking about a horrific mass shooting in this country, the only country in the world that this sort of thing happens like this, and yet here we are.

Congressman Espaillat, what happens now? Nothing happens in Congress?

REP. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT (D-NY): First, my heart goes out to the families and neighbors and friends of the victims and to Virginia Beach, yet another city that's been hit by this public health crisis. It is just unbelievable. We must do something.

I don't know the details on this, but it seems like it was rapid fire. And if there's any semi automatic weapon involved, they should really be taken off the streets. It is just too much. It is unbearable.

I just don't see the logic with someone carrying these kinds of weapons that are really weapons of war. It is just mind boggling.

BURNETT: Why anyone would.

I mean, Congressman Khanna, look, you have issued statements. You have held town halls. You have taken this issue on, and yet you share the frustration of many Americans that nothing changes, nothing ever seems to change. What will make a difference?

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): Erin, first of all, my heart goes out to the folks affected in Virginia Beach with this awful tragedy, and I want to just salute the first responders and law enforcement for their bravery in preventing even more loss of life.

But you're absolutely right. Look, we're the only country in the world where mass shootings happen on a regular basis. Two thousand people have lost their lives since Sandy Hook, which was in 2012. At some point we have to ask, all of us as Americans, when is it enough going to be enough.

We have passed legislation in the House, the HR-8, on comprehensive gun safety legislation. I hope this incident is finally going to wake up this country and that the Senate will act and the president will sign something. People are sick of this and we need to act as a country.

BURNETT: All right. I mean, Congressman, obviously had it not been a gun, had it been a knife, you wouldn't be looking at 11 people dead tonight.

ESPAILLAT: Probably not, Erin. As Congressman Khanna says, we passed legislation, hr-8, that does address to some degree this crisis right now. It has gone too far away from us, but yet we need to do even more than that. I think it is just a public health crisis, these shootings happening all over the country. It is about educating the country, say culture of violence really that has emerged in America and it is gripping and affecting obviously all of us and today hit very hard in Virginia Beach.

BURNETT: All right. Congressman Khanna, obviously, there was a time when the president of the United States said he was going to take this issue on, he didn't care about the NRA, and obviously that has not been followed up with action at all. He obviously has been briefed on this situation.

Is there any possibility that this could be an area where you could work with him?

[19:55:0] KHANNA: I hope so. Look, I don't think this is a partisan issue. This is an issue that affects every American family, regardless of where you live. The president earlier had said that we needed red flag laws so that if someone is a danger that we could go in with due process and take the gun away from that individual before they commit such a senseless act. Then he had a meeting with NRA and other officials and he backed off of that.

I hope that there's going to be some pressure on him and on the Senate and others to act, and let's come together and finally do something.

BURNETT: All right. Thank you both very much.

ESPAILLAT: Thank you.

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