By Eric Stock
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, said the mass shooting in Orlando could prompt the need for tougher security measures for those who come from nations that have harbored terrorists, but he’s not an advocate of tougher gun control laws.
Republican Congressman Darin LaLood called the Orlando shooting a terrorist act. He told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin it’s the type of incident that gun control won’t prevent.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with LaHood on WJBC.
“I am not of the opinion that… gun control is going to do something when you have terrorist elements that are going to get weapons regardless,” LaHood said.
LaHood reiterated his call for tougher security measures for refugees from Syria and Iraq and other countries that have terrorist ties.
CNN reported that the gunman, Omar Mateen, 29, called 911 to pledge allegiance to the ISIS terror group and mentioned the Boston Marathon bombers.
NITRD
LaHood has introduced his first piece of legislation that is scheduled for a vote on the House floor on Monday. LaHood said the measure related to NITRD (Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program) aims to modernize and streamline research and development efforts between the federal government and private businesses.
“IT and technology is in every sector of our society now, what this does is help the private sector to have more input and to use our federal government supercomputers,” LaHood said.
LaHood noted that Caterpillar and several state universities use the Blue Waters supercomputer at the University of Illinois for research.
A similar measure passed in the House last year before he took office but no action was taken in the Senate. LaHood noted there have been several revisions to the measure that leaves him optimistic the measure will pass this spring.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
