NYC Mayor Adams testifies before Congress on gun violence

NEW YORK - New York City Mayor Eric Adams visited Capitol Hill on Wednesday to urge Congress to pass new gun control laws.  

"We are facing a crisis that is killing more Americans than war," Adams testified. "I am here today to ask every one of you, and everyone in this Congress, to stand with all of us and end gun violence." 

Federal lawmakers are now considering a number of measures, including expanding background checks and raising the age to 21 to buy a semi-automatic weapon. 

While Congress is responding after the deadly mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Adams admits that in New York City, most crimes are committed with illegal handguns and ghost guns, not semi-automatic weapons. 

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"The New York City Police Department has taken over 3,000 illegal guns off our streets this year alone, but the guns just keep coming," Adams said.

Against that backdrop, the question is if there is anything the federal government can do to help reduce gun violence in New York City.

"We already have laws on the books that dictate that if you transfer are going across state lines, it now becomes a Federal offense," said former NYPD Lieutenant Darrin Porcher. "Do I think that it's a start? Yes, I think it's a start. However, I don't think that this is the terminal piece that will change and create precipitous drops in gun violence." 

Given Washington's history of gridlock when it comes to gun control, Porcher says he thinks the Mayor's time would be better spent closer to home bolstering his police force. 

"Additional funding for police officers and an additional contingent of ATF officers that would work in the city of New York that would co-exist with NYPD officers to focus on gun reduction strategies," Porcher said.

Adams' D.C. visit comes just one day after a poll showed many New Yorkers are unhappy with how he is handling crime in the city.