Rep. Franks Jokes About Gun Violence In Arizona

While discussing an amendment to the National Right-To-Carry Reciprocity Act in today's House Judiciary hearing, Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) responded to Rep. Steve Cohen's (D-TN) suggestion that gun ownership in Arizona is widespread enough to be considered mandatory by joking that, "In Arizona sometimes to gain office you have to have shot someone."

COHEN: If you have a law in Arizona and they don't have that prohibition in Ohio the person in Ohio who comes to Arizona can have a gun when they couldn't have one in Arizona. I know in Arizona you have to have a gun.

FRANKS: In Arizona sometimes to gain office you have to have shot someone. I'm joking, of course. I hope that the media understands that.

Last January, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was shot in a mass shooting that took six lives. The rate of gun-related deaths in Arizona is among the worst in the United States.