House Republicans brushed aside calls for stricter gun laws on Tuesday, signaling they want to focus on school security and figuring out why law enforcement failed to act on repeated warnings about the suspect in a mass shooting at a Florida high school this month.

At his weekly leadership news conference, Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (R-Wis.) said the House had already acted on a bill to strengthen federal criminal background checks for gun purchases. And he suggested the House would not vote on legislation by Sen. Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel FeinsteinNames to watch as Trump picks Ginsburg replacement on Supreme Court McConnell says Trump nominee to replace Ginsburg will get Senate vote Top Democrats call for DOJ watchdog to probe Barr over possible 2020 election influence MORE (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ted Deutch Theodore (Ted) Eliot DeutchShakespeare Theatre Company goes virtual for 'Will on the Hill...or Won't They?' Florida Democrat introduces bill to recognize Puerto Rico statehood referendum Matt Gaetz, Roger Stone back far-right activist Laura Loomer in congressional bid MORE (D-Fla.) that would ban assault weapons.

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“We shouldn’t be banning guns from law-abiding citizens,” Ryan said at a news conference. “We should be focusing on making sure that citizens who should not get guns in the first place don’t get those guns.”

President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE has backed a wide range of gun proposals following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead.

The students who survived the shooting have become powerful voices in the politically charged debate, taking their calls for action directly to cable television, the White House and Capitol Hill.

Trump has tentatively embraced improving how states report to the existing criminal background check system for gun purchases, raising the minimum age requirement to buy a semi-automatic weapon from 18 to 21 and banning devices that make such weapons fire much more rapidly.

Rep. Chris Collins Christopher (Chris) Carl CollinsConspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention NY Republican Chris Jacobs wins special election to replace Chris Collins 5 things to watch in Tuesday's primaries MORE (R-N.Y.), a Trump ally, predicted many Republicans would “follow the lead of the president” if he chooses to forcefully get behind any single proposal.

But House Republicans who returned to Washington this week have so far shown little appetite to take up many of Trump’s ideas, casting doubts on whether the Parkland shooting might have represented a tipping point in the nation’s long debate on guns.

The House already passed the narrow background check measure supported by Trump, known as the Fix NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) Act, but only after it was attached to controversial legislation to allow people to carry concealed weapons across state lines. The latter proposal kept the bill from passing the Senate.

Ryan said GOP leadership would wait to see what the Senate does with the bipartisan measure before deciding whether to consider the legislation as a stand-alone bill in the House.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellOcasio-Cortez to voters: Tell McConnell 'he is playing with fire' with Ginsburg's seat McConnell locks down key GOP votes in Supreme Court fight Video shows NYC subway station renamed after Ruth Bader Ginsburg MORE (R-Ky.) wants to put the Fix NICS Act on the Senate floor, but Senate Democrats are demanding amendment votes in exchange for their cooperation and conservatives have voiced due process concerns with the bill, making it unclear whether even the most modest gun control effort will be able to pass.

Stricter gun proposals stand even less of a chance. House Republicans emerging from a GOP conference meeting on Tuesday threw cold water on the idea of imposing new age limits on gun purchases or banning assault weapons, saying such restrictions would not have prevented the Parkland attack.

“We need to put more effort into identifying potential shooters and tell local law enforcement to enforce the laws we already have,” said Rep. Joe Barton Joe Linus BartonBottom line Ex-Tea Party lawmakers turn heads on K Street Longtime GOP aide to launch lobbying shop MORE (R-Texas), who was shot at during a GOP baseball practice last summer.

Not every GOP member is shying away from gun restrictions.

Rep. Brian Mast Brian Jeffrey MastSen. Rand Paul says he and his wife were 'attacked by an angry mob' after Trump speech Florida Republican apologizes after Facebook posts about sex, rape uncovered Most Black women since 2004 running for office this year MORE (R-Fla.), who supports banning assault weapons and raising the age requirement for purchasing certain rifles, said he presented some of his ideas to his colleagues. But he added that they were not met with “thunderous applause.”

GOP members prefer to focus their response on bolstering the safety and security on school campuses.

“We need to have people on the scene who are comfortable using weapons,” said Rep. Roger Williams John (Roger) Roger WilliamsThe Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Yoho apologizes for accosting AOC Ocasio-Cortez accosted by GOP lawmaker over remarks: 'That kind of confrontation hasn't ever happened to me' Cook shifts 20 House districts toward Democrats MORE (R-Texas). “We need to secure the schools now, because this debate is going to last a long time.”

Trump has similarly called for arming teachers with concealed weapons and ending gun-free school zones, which he says attract would-be shooters.

Ryan said that while he personally backs Trump’s idea of arming teachers and faculty, he thinks the decision should be left up to local and state governments.

Still, there are a slate of other school security ideas being kicked around in Congress as Republicans start to craft their school safety bill.

Rep. Kay Granger Norvell (Kay) Kay GrangerBottom line Helping our seniors before it's too late House approves .3 trillion spending package for 2021 MORE (R-Texas) is drafting legislation that would encourage local school districts to buy and install metal detectors.

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows Mark Randall MeadowsAirline CEOs plead with Washington as layoffs loom Trump reacts to Ginsburg's death: 'An amazing woman who led an amazing life' Trump carries on with rally, unaware of Ginsburg's death MORE (R-N.C.) said he has identified several potential solutions to harden security on school campuses, such as increasing funding for school resource officers and offering incentives for armed volunteers who want to help protect schools.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers also touted a measure on Tuesday that would provide federal funding for prevention programs designed to educate students and adults about how to spot and report warning signs of gun violence.

“Security requires a multilayered approach. Our bill supports one very important layer of that security for our schools,” Rep. John Rutherford John Henry RutherfordEd Markey, John Rutherford among victors at charity pumpkin-carving contest 'Mass shooting' at Florida video game tournament: authorities Carter, Yoder advance in appropriations committee leadership reshuffle MORE (R-Fla.), one of the bill’s co-sponsors, said at a press conference Tuesday.

In the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, House Republicans have also zeroed in on law enforcement’s botched response to the deadly rampage.

The FBI and local police have admitted that they received multiple warnings about the suspected shooter but failed to follow up on them.

It has also been reported that an armed officer stationed at the high school remained outside the building while the shooter was firing on students and teachers inside.

The House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform committees requested briefings from the FBI on its response to the incident, and are also planning to hold hearings on the issue.

“We need to get to the bottom of how these breakdowns occurred,” Ryan said. “We are going to be looking at the system failures.”



Scott Wong contributed.