Bush goes after Clinton on guns

by Jesse Byrnes - 11/30/15 10:51 AM ET

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush on Monday went after Democratic rival Hillary Clinton on gun control in the wake of Friday’s Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado.

“As a proud conservative, I believe strongly in the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners,” Bush wrote in an op-ed published in The Iowa Republican.

The former Florida governor touted efforts during his tenure to advance gun rights for those looking to obtain concealed weapon permits and hunting licenses.

{mosads}”My record of defending the Second Amendment stands in stark contrast to Hillary Clinton,” Bush wrote, mentioning Clinton’s recent debate remark naming the National Rifle Association as among her political enemies.

“Hillary Clinton is on record supporting gun bans and it is obvious that she will pursue a legislative agenda that would infringe upon the rights of responsible gun owners,” Bush wrote.

The comments come a day after Clinton slammed Republicans in the wake of a shooting at a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs, Colo., last week that left three people dead.

Clinton on Sunday made an appeal for more gun control, connecting the Colorado shooting to terrorist attacks in Paris earlier this month.

“This is truly unbelievable, that after what we’ve seen in Paris and other places, Republicans will not bring up a bill that will prohibit anyone on the no-fly list from buying a gun in America,” she said.

“How many more Americans need to die before we take action?” she asked.

Bush shot back on Monday, suggesting stricter gun laws wouldn’t have prevented such shootings.

“Liberals like Hillary Clinton always hold up gun control as a panacea to crime, even though the proposals they have put forward would have done nothing to stop any of the tragic shootings that have occurred recently in America,” Bush wrote in his op-ed.

“Gun violence is a serious issue that deserves our attention. But the proper response is to crack down on the criminals who use guns in crimes and to improve our national instant background check system so we can prevent people with mental illnesses from purchasing firearms,” he added.

Tags 2016 White House race Gun control Gun rights Hillary Clinton Jeb Bush National Rifle Association NRA