MSNBC "Hardball" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Robin Kelly

Interview

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MATTHEWS: Congresswoman, thank you for joining us.

REP. ROBIN KELLY (D), ILLINOIS: Thanks for having me.

MATTHEWS: You`re from Illinois, you`re leading this big fight for gun  safety, against violence.

I mean, we have had all these school shootings. And every day they happen  here, we start all over again, and we say thoughts and prayers. And all  that`s fine, but no action.

KELLY: You`re definitely right.

And that`s why I don`t participate in the thoughts and prayers. I haven`t  stood up and done the moment of silence for over two years now, because we  stand up, we sit down, and we do nothing.

But, hopefully, HR-8 will be the beginning of doing something with the  background check bill.

MATTHEWS: Do you think rural states like -- I always saw it as sort of a  mixed bag as a rural state, but do they get it, that when kids get ahold of  guns and gangs get a hold of them and people that are a little bit mentally  unstable get ahold of guns, that people are going to get killed?

KELLY: I think some people get it. And I think more and more people are  getting it.

And I`m saying that because some of the people that won, they weren`t  afraid to talk about the need for gun violence prevention and laws around  that.

MATTHEWS: What do you think is the chances of getting something done on  background checks to start with?

KELLY: Well, I definitely think it`s going to pass the House. It`s been  bipartisan for a long time. We just could not get Speaker Boehner, Speaker  Ryan to even call the bill.

It will be tougher in the Senate. But I`m hoping all the advocacy, all the  energy around this will -- they will take it over to the Senate and put the  pressure on, frankly, the Republican senators.

MATTHEWS: Yes, there won`t be a cork in the bottle anymore.

Anyway, as we approach the one-year anniversary of the school shooting in  Parkland, Florida -- one year it`s been -- a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows  the more Americans want tougher gun laws, but don`t believe lawmakers can  make it happen.

According to the new poll, more than half of Americans believe lawmakers  should make it tougher for people to own guns, and 58 percent say they are  not confident that our lawmakers will actually do something to improve the  laws.

Hmm. Sounds like pessimism is reigning here.

KELLY: It does, but I think, because they have seen such a partisan  divide, even though I always tell people we get along better than people  think -- but I think they have seen what`s happened over the years.

But I think we can get some things done. I have legislation that asks the  surgeon general to put out a report every year about the impact of gun  violence. And I think that has a chance of passing in both the House and  the Senate.

MATTHEWS: Dan, how about in Barry Goldwater country, John McCain country?  Is gun ownership just the NRA way, or is there something more moderate from  that they can win?

NOWICKI: Well, Arizona very much is a gun-friendly state, but, like I  mentioned earlier, things are -- seem to be changing.

And Mark Kelly running as a moderate, centrist Democrat -- and the way he`s  going to finesse the gun control message is sort of, we`re not going for  your -- we`re not going to grab your guns. We`re not trying to undermine  the Second Amendment, just commonsense regulations that are going to try to  keep guns out of the wrong people.

Mark Kelly stresses his family owns guns. So he`s kind of presenting  himself as a commonsense gun owner who just wants to fix some quirks in the  law.

MATTHEWS: Well, I think he`s got the credentials. He`s not a gun hater.  He just wants gun safety.

Thank you so much, U.S. Congresswoman Robin Kelly. Thanks for coming out  today.

KELLY: Thank you for having me.

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