TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker says Congress should look at other possible causes of gun violence -- such as video games and movies -- rather than resorting to gun control.
"Back during the Clinton Administration, Congress passed and President Clinton signed an assault weapons ban. And that stayed in place for ten years and expired automatically," Sen. Wicker (R-Miss.) said. "It was a ten-year experiment and I think the judgment was that it didn't work."
That's basically Wicker's stand on gun control.
Wicker said he would rather do things like placing armed guards at schools and placing law enforcement officers on campus to deter any future violent events.
He adds that Hollywood movie makers should be asked to curb violent movi-making as well.
Wicker also said he believes something must be done to help those with mental illnesses that might commit crimes, like what happened in Newtown, Conn., recently.
Wicker said that the issue he would most llike to see handled this year is the $16 trillion deficit, but action on that would require bipartisan support, something they haven't seen in Washington in quite a while.
The senator is now a member of the budget committee, which he calls a 'thankless job' in some ways.
"We need to address that or we are not going to be the free and prosperous economic power that we've been on the national stage," Wicker said. "To me, that's the top priority we have."
Wicker said he believes the country can make budget savings at the federal level by simply cutting back on the numbers of new hirings and does not like the idea of furloughs that have been put forth by some.
"Not every person who leaves federal service needs to be replaced. We're in tough times like families that are in tough times," said Wicker. "You've got to sit around the table and say, 'Maybe we can do without this, maybe we can do without that.' I would not furlough people who have signed on to do a job and have families. I would make the savings elsewhere. I think that would be a very drastic way to do it."
Wicker says he voted for the bill that ties Congressional salaries to the passage of a budget this year.
He says now its up to the U.S. Senate to get a budget passed.
