NEW YORK (PIX11) – Alison Esposito, a Republican candidate running for Congress in New York’s 18th District, said she does not support a ban on assault weapons and that America doesn’t have a gun problem.
Esposito made the comments during a debate against Democratic U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan on PIX11 Wednesday night.
When asked if assault weapons should be banned, Esposito said, “No, you do not accomplish any rule or safety by taking guns out of legal, lawful people’s hands. We have to punish criminals for their actions.”
Esposito added, “We have a heart problem in this country and a mental health problem in this country. We don’t have a gun problem in this country.”
Additionally, Esposito said she does not support a ban on bump stocks and extended magazines.
Watch: Pat Ryan, Alison Esposito face off in NY-18 debate on PIX11
“We’re targeting a weapon and not the individual. We need to be targeting the individual that perpetrates these crimes and hold them accountable,” Esposito said. “We do not remove a Second Amendment right from our citizens simply because somebody else committed a crime.”