Rep. Eric Swalwell last year proposed a ban on “possession of military-style semiautomatic assault weapons.” | Elise Amendola/AP Photo 2020 Elections Swalwell says Second Amendment allows for gun control

Democratic presidential candidate Eric Swalwell said Sunday that the Second Amendment shouldn’t be repealed but that it does allow for some guns to be controlled.

“The greatest threat to the Second Amendment is doing nothing,” the California congressman said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “And the Second Amendment is not an absolute right. Just like free speech — you can't shout fire in a theater or lie about the products you are selling. You can't own a bazooka, you can't own a tank, you can't own rocket-propelled grenades.“


“So we should put some limits in place,” Swalwell said. “And I think the American people are with me. I'm no longer intimidated by the NRA. The moms and the kids, they're behind us on this issue. And I think it just takes leadership in Washington.”

Swalwell last year proposed a ban on “possession of military-style semiautomatic assault weapons.” The government would offer to buy those guns to get them out of circulation.

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Under Swalwell’s plan, people who don’t agree to sell back their military-style weapons could face jail time. But, he said: “I also offer an alternative, which would be to keep them at a hunting club or a shooting range. And the reason I have proposed this is because these weapons are so devastating.“

Swalwell said his plan would allow gun owners to continue to have pistols, rifles and shotguns. His proposal would also add background checks and fund violence prevention programs in cities, he said.

The congressman did not specify whether he would urge Congress to pass a law or seek executive action on his own.