community -- is partnering with 1,000 community centers so students from low-income families can get the tools they need to be ready for anything. >> comcast supports c-span as a public service along with these other television providers. giving you a front row seat to democracy. washington journal co. host: we welcome back a 12 term member of congress and leading voice for gun log reform. how optimistic are you that this congress will put a new law bill on the president's desk to sign into law? guest: i am confident that the house of representatives will do. that is at the heart of this discussion and i think every body has to unmask what is really going on here.

where in the constitution that you need 60 votes to pass a bill? where in the constitution doesn't say that a filibuster is part of the process? in either case it is simply because the closer votes has been used as a tool by both parties but what is his lead to his greatest threat to our democratic process. just in this last year and a half there are over 400 bills that are sitting in the united states senate that have never been taken up for a vote. of course, everyone is struggling with the gun violence and punctuated yesterday by the threat on justice kavanaugh's life but certainly uvalde and

pulmonary from newtown, connecticut. why is it that the united states senate doesn't vote, the reason we are not taking that up because we don't have 60 vote. i think this is the issue that we need to focus in on. why hasn't congress done anything? implying that both chambers are not acting. you know that as we did yesterday, passing gun legislation is common sense legislation. it passed the house and it was bipartisan and i believe that the senate takes a vote and people know what the vote is,

meaning that people are able to hold their elected officials accountable. that is what our founding fathers intended. people will know where you stand on this issue. the gun issue is such that you are standing on principle. let the public know where you stand on this issue. this is far more of a threat to our democracy then what transpired on january 6, but what transpires in terms of the threats on international terrorism, russia, china or global pandemic. if the united states congress, if this democratic republic that is designed with two houses, a system of checks and balances and people are asked to vote. we have sworn an allegiance to the constitution.

there is a rule that says we don't have to vote on any issue unless there are 60 votes. over 400 bills have not been taken up. including a gun bill, voting rights acts, prescription drugs, universal background checks on guns. you can go down the list. these are not insignificant legislation. over 400 bills that are not taken up. host: we have 20 minutes until the house comes in and the house taking up that red flag bill today. we would like the viewers to take out the conversation. guest: that house will take it up today but will it be taken up in the senate? host: (202) 748-8000 for

republicans, (202) 748-8001 for democrats and (202) 748-8002 four independents. host: will be focusing on the hearing for the january six committee. how many people are left out there that don't have a formed opinion one way or the other on what did or did not happen on january 6. he was left to convince? guest: i think that is a great question and i wish i had a great answer for that. i do think there is widespread interest. as you pointed out, this will not be carried out on fox news which will be holding an

alternative concept of what actually transpired and they are convinced that nothing really transpired other than over enthusiastic tourists that got out of hand. of course that was the fault of congress and not anything that president trump had anything remotely to do with. that is all the more reason for why we need to vote on these issues. the very bipartisan bill that passed the house with 252 members voting for it and most notably even minority leader mccarthy saying, we need to get to the bottom of this we need to find out what happened, we need to find out what transpired. senator mcconnell on that day stepping forward and recognizing what the threat wasn't saying we have to step up but then when it came to a nonpartisan study of

the issue, there was no vote in the united states senate. how many people in america know that? that is why the committee's findings and that is nonpartisan in terms of the courageous actions of liz cheney and adam kinzinger, i think it will be of great interest to the american public and i think a number of people will turn in. people who have formed their views already, i don't know that this will convince them but certainly the american people deserve to see and hear the testimony under oath and also the number of people who are actually involved in that day in their words coming forward and testifying so the public is to see that. host: larry and missouri, a

republican. caller: you know both of my senators from illinois and they are both democrats. i have called both of their offices. i bought c-span's book to get a hold of my senators. there is no reply from their offices. i have never heard a democrat explain what an assault weapon is. i have a 45 caliber and i am 75. if you want to describe an assault weapon. you are describing both of mine. the second question is, it is not the republicans fault and it is not the dimmer kranz fault you don't have fault --

democrats fault. host: we are running a little short on time. let me get his opinion on this. guest: thank you for the call and let me also add that jason crow from new jersey are both military and trained in assault weapons believe that we ought to go back to the ban on assault weapons and they grew up knowing how to hunt while also recognizing that there are two distinct reasons for those guns. an assault weapon as a weapon of war. to have the access that people have to that doesn't seem to be consistent with a weapon that

you would use for hunting. both of them have guns, both of them store them. it would seem to me that that would be a common sense practice. no one is coming to take your assault weapons away. they ought to be banned and especially prevented from 18-year-olds getting a hold of them. it doesn't make a lot of sense. both of them talked about the extensive training from their families but also specifically in the military. with regards to what you had to say about the votes, clearly people have to vote. i don't disagree with you. in terms of the cloture vote, the democrats and harry reid, it

was used as a tool just like mitch mcconnell, i think the american people are fed up. how can a democratic republic exist if there is not a vote taken on the issue. if you ever see a vote taken you think that your government and the system is broken. over 400 bills, 70% of them bipartisan are sitting there now. and yes, you are correct. that happened when democrats were able to use cloture to vote . that is probably the biggest threat to our democracy and the wing that needs to change so that people can hold their elected representatives accountable as you suggest you wanted to do in the case of talking about the definition of assault weapons. host: this is bill, and

independent. caller: good morning. i used to be a journalist in washington dc. during the obama and biden administration, homeland security were tracking extremist. that office was disbanded. i am just wondering if our government has any tracking group tracking far left and right groups? there was a collar from the louisiana who said watch out democrats in a menacing way. our political discourse has become extremely dangerous and the government doesn't seem to

be tracking anything. host: were they a part of your coverage area when you were a journalist? caller: yes. host: where did you go when you are trying to track them? caller: i would go to a hearing and talk to the fbi and the cia and talk with the governmental agencies that are responsible. guest: he may have more knowledge specifically covering homeland security. i'm not familiar specifically.

there should be the ability to track and be concerned about domestic terrorism and all of its antecedents. i do believe that the government is doing that and by the government i mean the fbi and the cia and homeland security. the extent of which i can't comment. but to your point, to get the answer there would be a hearing and usually a hearing or a briefing that would perhaps be classified for obvious reasons. host: before you get off the line, do you have one or two suggestions? caller: there needs to be some sort of bipartisan group. the fact that obama and

biden caved to political pressure disbanded the homeland security group to track extremists is very concerning. host: congressman larson, a topic that you are interested in is social security as the chair of the social security committee for the ways and means committee. guest: let me commend chairman mean who is a social security recipient himself. being raised by his grandmother and stepping forward. we are marking up a bill, as you know, congress has not enhanced social security and more than 51 years. the cost of a gallon of milk was $.72 in 1971.

richard nixon was a president of the united states. a lot has transpired and a lot of people know that. in the midst of the pandemic the group hit the hardest, people over the age of 65. a close of one million died. who were the people most impacted by inflation? the war in ukraine, supply chain issues, the elderly. a people on a fixed income, with 10,000 baby boomers becoming eligible for social security, there is a need for congress to act. i spoke with nancy pelosi the other day, we need a comprehensive bill that will

live people who are close to poverty. 3 million people who have paid in all their life who are below poverty simply because congress is not taken any action. they have not taken any action of 51 years to enhance the program that is the nation's most effective insurance program. the number one and type poverty program for the elderly. the number one anti-poverty program for children as well. the number one disabled poverty program for disabled veterans. the committee on ways and means will be marking up a bill shortly. it will pass the house i am sure. i hope with bipartisan support. it is supported bipartisanly

across-the-board by the american people. we only have to go back as far as 2008, 2009 when people saw their 401(k) become a 101 k. during that time social security never missed a payment. that is why it is so important. i commend president biden for this. social security needs to be enhanced, protected. we need to bring up to speed the benefits that have not been enhanced since 1971. host: this is john from missouri, and independent. caller: good morning mr. larson.

i have a question. in ways and means, do you have the authority to propose a bible back program which would alleviate the republican cries where we could buy back the guns and send them to ukraine as a weapons package. guest: you sound way to common sense with your proposal. i don't think that is a bad idea at all. i think that needs to take place. there is a lot of common sense around this. especially with the profusion of guns in our society here. more so than any other civilized country in the world. a buyback provision would make an awful lot of common sense.

it would not fall under the ways and means jurisdictions. but that does not mean that people in ways and means would be supportive. i would also add that it is very common sense and straightforward which is something that i appreciate and thank you. i think that is a good idea. people in my district have spoken about this as well. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2022] >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we're funded by these television companies and more. including cox. >> homework can be hard. but squatting in a diner for internetwork is even harder. that's why we're providing lower income students access to affordable internet. so homework can just be homework. cox connect to compete. >> cox, along with these other television providers. giving you a front row seat to democracy.

>> c-span is live on capitol hill outside the hearing room where tonight the january 6 committee begins their proceedings. committee members will question key witnesses about what transpired and why during the assaults on the u.s. capitol. watch our live coverage beginning at 8:00 p.m. here on c-span, c-span now, our free mobile video app, or online at c-span.org. >> hughes speaker unanimous -- house speaker nancy pelosi told reporters she believes there's public interest for the january 6 committee hearings. she also talked about senate negotiations on guns and house and senate discussions on a bill to increase security for supreme court justices.