Dianne Feinstein says politicians need to vote on gun control bills after the Thousand Oaks shooting, or we'll see 'more bodies lying at the foot of failed Republican leadership'

• California Sen. Dianne Feinstein called for votes on a number of gun control bills following the Thousand Oaks shooting on Wednesday night.
• The Democratic senator said that if gun laws don’t change, the country will see "more bodies lying at the foot of failed Republican leadership."
• Her statement came after a gunman identified as 28-year-old Ian David Long opened fire at the Borderline Bar & Grill in the Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks.

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein called for votes on a number of gun control bills following the Thousand Oaks shooting that left 12 people and the gunman dead on Wednesday night.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Democratic senator said that if gun laws don’t change, the country will see "more bodies lying at the foot of failed Republican leadership."

Her statement came after a gunman identified as 28-year-old Ian David Long opened fire at the Borderline Bar & Grill in the Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks, California.

"These mass murders are depressingly pervasive. Schools. Theaters. Malls. Offices. Synagogues. Grocery stores. Bars. Concerts. Churches. They're inspired by racism, revenge, terrorism, or just pure hatred. The one common attribute: easy access to guns," Feinstein said.

She said that stronger laws are needed to prevent further shootings, and a number of bills, including one on a renewed ban on military style assault weapons and one on a ban on bump stocks, are ready for votes.

"We could hold these votes next week and have bills on the president's desk by Thanksgiving. Instead, Republicans refuse to take any action at all," Feinstein said.

Read more: At least 13 dead, including gunman, at college-bar mass shooting in Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks

President Donald Trump made a statement about the shooting on Twitter saying he had been briefed on the incident.

He thanked law enforcement and said "god bless"to the victims, but made no mention of gun control laws.

Feinstein said the Republican Party’s failure to act on the mass shootings across the country is "cowardice of epic proportions."

"We may not be able to stop all gun violence, but that doesn’t mean Republicans should be allowed to bury their heads in the sand and not try to stop any of it," she said.

She added: "As long as they stand in fear of the NRA and worry more about the power of the gun lobby than the lives of their fellow citizens, we’ll see more Thousand Oaks, more bodies lying at the foot of failed Republican leadership."

The NRA has yet to respond to the shooting, but posted a tweet yesterday critical of the medical community's response to guns. 

For more, head to INSIDER's homepage. 

SEE ALSO: Police officer killed in Thousand Oaks bar shooting ID'd as Sgt. Ron Helus, who colleagues say 'died a hero'

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