U.S. Rep. Steve Watkins pushed back at a town hall Monday against constituents' pleas for support of stringent background checks for firearm purchases and the implementation of laws enabling law enforcement officers to temporarily seize guns from people of potential harm to themselves or others.

Watkins, a U.S. Army veteran elected to the 2nd District seat in November, said during the Topeka forum the loss of life to gun violence broke his heart and he always tried to place himself in the shoes of victims.

"As Republicans," Watkins said, "we are working tirelessly to combat gun violence and have enacted laws that put more resources in mental health, providing training for guidance counselors, fund grants for law enforcement, provide money to harden schools and strengthen background checks."

He said House GOP members last year "led the way" to strengthen background checks, do away with bump stocks that allowed a semi-automatic weapon to fire as if on automatic and to address the patchwork of concealed-gun laws.

Watkins read from prepared remarks that noted the U.S. House recently passed a spending bill that doubled the money available for research into root causes of gun violence.

Danielle Twemlow, a Topeka member of anti-gun violence organization Moms Demand Action, said so-called red flag laws allowing firearms to be taken from volatile people and imposition of meaningful background checks on gun purchases would do more to stem violence than investing federal dollars in mental health services.

"We have lots and lots of research that really shows that mental health is not the issue," she said. "Actually one just in July that was published in Preventative Medicine that really stated that access to guns is the main issue, which really makes sense for a lot of people."

Twemlow said criminals could easily acquire weapons because the federal background check system was full of holes.

"I want to know what you're planning to do to make us safer?" she said to applause.

Allen Askew, who works on military and veteran issues for Watkins, stood near the front of the room close to the congressman. Askew had an open-carry firearm on his hip. A Topeka police officer was stationed at the back of the room.

Watkins' spokesman didn't allow for questions from reporters at close of the one-hour town hall in west Topeka.

In a 20-minute slide presentation to open the meeting, Watkins said he introduced six pieces of legislation since taking office in January and co-sponsored 177 measures. He said he personally held 256 meetings with constituents in Kansas or Washington, D.C. He traveled 3,862 miles throughout the congressional district and his staff responded to 6,175 pieces of mail.

Watkins complained about lack of open dialogue among lawmakers in Washington, but said he relished his role in a weekly caucus of 24 Republicans and 24 Democrats that intentionally excluded moderates from the problem-solver group.

"I try to bring Kansas values, my values, to the job," Watkins said. "It's challenging oftentimes because in D.C. they're not able to have real honest ... conversations, unfortunately. So, if you have an opinion, even though you might be the only one in the room with that opinion, this will be a good forum for you to voice that opinion. My staff and I will hear you out."

Watkins said it was important for the U.S. House and Senate to complete work on a trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, improve transfer of medical records of military personnel entering the Veterans Administration system and to approve federal incentives to bring more physicians into rural areas of the country.

"Physician shortages are critical," he said. "Of course, small communities and VA hospitals will be disproportionately affected."