Swalwell offers his ‘thought’ and ‘prayer’ in wake of California shooting

California Rep. Eric Swalwell (D) reacted to a Wednesday shooting in his state that left 12 people dead and others injured with a unique riff on the traditional “thoughts and prayers” commonly offered up after tragic events.

In a Friday tweet, Swalwell wrote that he had just one “thought” and one “prayer” after the deadly shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, Calif., which police say was committed by 28-year-old Ian David Long, a former Marine.

{mosads}”I have a THOUGHT: background checks and ban assault weapons,” Swalwell wrote in his tweet.

“Here’s my PRAYER: Congress finds the courage to do it. That’s how you honor those needlessly killed,” Swalwell continued, adding the hashtags “#RightToLiveComesFirst” and “#EnoughIsEnough.”

I have a THOUGHT: background checks and ban assault weapons. Here’s my PRAYER: Congress finds the courage to do it. That’s how you honor those needlessly killed. #RightToLiveComesFirst #EnoughIsEnough

— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 9, 2018

Swalwell was joined by his party’s leader in the House, fellow California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, in calling for gun reform after the shooting, which occurred in a suburb of Los Angeles at a bar frequented by college students.

In an interview Thursday night on CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time,” the Democratic leader vowed that gun control would be a “priority” for the incoming Democratic-majority House following Tuesday’s midterm elections.

“I do believe, because in this Congress … there is bipartisan legislation to have common-sense background checks to prevent guns going into the wrong hands. It doesn’t cover everything, but it will save many lives,” Pelosi said Thursday.

“This will be a priority for us going into the next Congress,” she added.