KXAN: Roland Gutierrez on his campaign for US Senate
For Immediate Release: December 19, 2023
TEXAS – KXAN interviewed top Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate for a discussion on top campaign issues. Gutierrez discussed his campaign, gun safety in the wake of Uvalde, and the neglect of Texas. Roland also explained his strong stance on abortion and calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict, drawing a contrast with his U.S. Senate primary opponent.
Motivated to run after the massacre of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary in Uvalde exposed deep neglect in rural Texas, common sense gun safety plays a central role in Gutierrez’s campaign. Gutierrez maintains that popular measures such as age limit increases and universal background checks must be passed alongside measures like an assault weapons ban with exceptions to fix the gun violence crisis in America.
“We don’t need Ted Cruz’s thoughts and prayers, we need to protect our children once and for all. This is a problem that is unique to our country and it must stop,” said Gutierrez. “If cops are so fearful [of the AR-15] that they aren’t willing to do their jobs, we shouldn’t have these weapons.”
WATCH: “Roland Gutierrez on his campaign for US Senate”
Both Democratic candidates support the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that passed in the wake of the Uvalde shooting, but Gutierrez maintains that the bill passage is “just a beginning step,” stating that he would support and fight for an assault weapons ban.
“We need to go so much beyond [the Safer Communities Act]. As the next Senator of this state, I will not just talk about getting it done in the U.S. Senate, I will go state by state and talk about everything that I have seen.”
As U.S. Senator, Gutierrez says he would be less concerned with decorum and bipartisanship, and more focused on getting big priority items done to protect Texans. Gutierrez is willing to break the filibuster to secure abortion rights and more, something his primary opponent is opposed to.
“What’s important are our children’s lives, reproductive issues, the vast majority of Americans are in favor of the things they want to see changed,” said U.S. Senate candidate Roland Gutierrez, “We need to codify Roe v. Wade, break the filibuster, and expand the Supreme Court. We need a court that’s not bought and paid for, a court with ethics.”
WATCH: “Roland Gutierrez on his campaign for US Senate”
A deeper divide separates the candidates on the issues of immigration and the Middle East. Gutierrez described his primary opponent as “out-of-touch” on both accounts, citing Allred’s support for the Trump border wall and the congressman’s refusal to back the Texas Democratic Party’s call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict which was unanimously adopted by the State Democratic Executive Committee recently.
“I thought the congressman’s answer was not well-developed, not really seeing the future of what’s happening in the Middle East. These are very complex issues,” stated Gutierrez, ”At the end of the day, Israel has killed over 16,000 people, many of them women and children. They’re bombing Gaza with impunity. That’s not going after Hamas.”
“I am pro-Israel, I am pro-Palestine, but more than anything I am pro-peace. This must end now, and I am asking the congressman to reverse his position on these issues.”
WATCH: “Roland Gutierrez on his campaign for US Senate”
WATCH: “Colin Allred on his race to take on Ted Cruz”
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