Kaine: Parkland students ‘changing the equation’ on gun control

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on Sunday praised the activism of the student survivors of the deadly shooting in Parkland, Fla., crediting them with helping to bring about legislative action on gun control.

“The activism in these young people is actually changing the equation,” Kaine said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “This gives us a moment to finally do what the American public wants us to.”

He pointed to a massive $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill passed by Congress last week that included provisions to close loopholes in the background check system for gun buyers and allow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to research gun violence.

Such provisions would not have been included if not for the activism of students, Kaine said.

“The active engagement in young people convinced people ‘we better do something now,’ ” he said.

Kaine’s comments came a day after hundreds of thousands of protesters, led by Parkland students, descended on cities across the country to demand an end to gun violence.

Kaine joined in one of the “March for Our Lives” rallies in Richmond, Va., on Saturday.

The rallies were organized following the shooting last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, which left 17 people dead and 14 others injured. That attack prompted a fierce national debate over gun laws, with the school’s students emerging as some of the most vocal advocates for new firearm restrictions.