GOP Rep. Steube displays guns in virtual hearing, tells Dem colleagues 'I can do whatever I want'

GOP Rep. Greg Steube on Thursday took an an orthodox approach to showing his non-support for proposed gun-control legislation his Democratic colleagues are attempting to pass – he showed off his firearms collection.

From his home in Florida, Steube displayed in the online hearing three guns and several large-capacity magazines as he argued that the legislation being pushed by Democrats would ban ownership of such weapons, including a handgun he says he carries with him every day.

As he unsuccessfully attempted to fit several magazine into the three guns, he said, "Here’s a 12-round magazine. This magazine would be banned under this current bill. It doesn’t fit. This gun was made for a 20-round, 21-round magazine. This gun would be banned under this bill. Here’s a SIG Sauer 320, it takes a 20-round magazine ... here’s a 12-round magazine that would be banned. It doesn’t fit."

The congressman showed the magazines slipping out of the bottom of the weapon because they were the wrong size.

"Here’s a gun I carry every single day to protect myself, my family, my wife, and my home," he also said. "This is a XL Sig Sauer P365. It comes with a 15-round magazine. Here’s a seven-round magazine, which would be less than what would be lawful under this bill if this bill were to become law."

At one point, Texas Democrat Rep. Sheila Jackson said, "I hope that gun is not loaded," to which Steube replied, "I'm at my house. I can do whatever I want with my guns."

Following the demonstration, the committee voted on party lines to approve a bill that would raise the legal age for the purchase of a semi-automatic rifle to 21 and ban the manufacture or possession of high-capacity magazines.

The bill is not expected to pass the evenly-divided, 100-member Senate in which it will need 60 votes. 

The hearing took place several hours before President Biden addressed the nation during primetime on gun-control. During the address, Biden called for an assault weapons and high-capacity magazine ban and called upon Senate Republicans from preventing legislation that would accomplish those goals from moving forward. 

"You can't fail the American people again," he said about Senate Republicans.