Rep. Joe Kennedy III — whose grandfather and great uncle were fatally shot— told ABC's "The View" Friday that gun violence is not a mental health issue, according to Mediaite.

Noting that many Republicans and gun rights activists contend that gun violence is more about mental health than gun control, Kennedy, D-Mass., said that runs counter to research and "study after study."

"People with mental illness are far more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrate them," Kennedy declared, to cheers and applause from the crowd, noting that the Republican-controlled House and Senate want to slash mental health money.

"The first big bill coming out of Congress under this administration was a bill to cut Medicaid, the largest payer of mental health service in this country by $800 billion," Kennedy said. "So, don't turn around and tell me this is a mental health issue when you just tried to cut the biggest payer of it by $800 billion."

Kennedy noted that gun control bills rarely even make it to a floor vote.

"We have done everything we possibly can to try to get Republican leadership just to give us a vote," Kennedy said. "If it's voted down, fine, but give us a vote."

Congress is just not doing enough, he said.

"I can't even tell you how many times we have uttered our thoughts and prayers to victims of gun violence," said Kennedy, whose grandfather Robert Kennedy, and great uncle John F. Kennedy were assassinated in the 1960s.

"Clearly, thoughts and prayers ain't doin' it."