Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) criticized her fellow Republicans on Sunday for their silence on issues of mass shootings and abortion access, arguing that they must offer policy solutions to these pressing concerns.
Mace suggested Republicans should focus on making changes that do not target gun control directly, such as strengthening background checks and securing physical security at vulnerable locations like schools and places of worship. She also criticized some of the Republican party's moves to restrict abortion access in the U.S., following the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court last year.
"A string of Republican-led states, especially in the south, have taken steps over the last year to strongly restrict access to abortions," said Mace. "Lawmakers need to find a middle ground on this issue because independent voters cannot support this extreme stance."
Addressing gun violence specifically, Mace recalled how she and her children were just a mile away from a mass shooting in South Carolina that transpired on Good Friday earlier this year.
"Republicans are consistently losing popular votes in presidential elections due to their inability or unwillingness to take action against gun violence," she stated firmly.
To combat mass shootings effectively without infringing upon Second Amendment rights, Rep. Mace proposed providing Amber Alerts for nearby shootings, increasing background checks for gun sales, and “hardening” educational institutions and religious spaces with bulletproof windows and doors.
The congresswoman went further by emphasizing both parties' refusal to compromise when it comes down to vital national concerns like gun safety: "This stubbornness only serves political interests rather than fulfilling our duty as lawmakers sworn into office."
On abortion rights specifically, Mace questioned how lawmakers would improve adoption services across America while ensuring care remains accessible for unwanted children born under restrictive policies advocated by certain factions within her own party.
As one of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) strongest supporters, Rep. Mace has witnessed firsthand the challenges posed by far-right factions before McCarthy's eventual election to the House's top leadership position.
Her call for bipartisan cooperation and actionable policy solutions on mass shootings and abortion access demonstrates a willingness to confront her own party in order to foster meaningful change for American citizens across political divides.