House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington in January. (AP photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
(CNSNews.com) – House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) said on Thursday that infringing on Americans’ right to keep and bear arms guaranteed under the Second Amendment of the Constitution will not stop terrorist acts in the United States.
CNSNews.com asked Ryan at his weekly briefing with reporters at the Capitol: “Will curtailing the Second Amendment right of Americans to keep and bear arms protect this country from radical Islamic terrorism?”
“That’s a good question,” Ryan responded. “So the question is — is going after the Second Amendment how you stop terrorism?
“No,” Ryan said, “that’s not how you stop terrorism.”
Ryan continued by saying the House of Representatives is voting this week on legislation aimed at stopping “homegrown Jihadists.”
“Let’s not take our eye off the ball here,” Ryan said. “This is a person [the Orlando terrorist] who was radicalized by Islamic radical terrorists and claimed it was by ISIS.”
“So we need to make sure that we’re focusing on the real issue here, which is terrorism,” Ryan said. “The fact that people are becoming radicalized and committing these horrible acts of terrorism in our country.”
“So not only do we need a better foreign policy,” Ryan said, “not only do we need a better policy with respect to Iraq and Syria and fighting terrorists and preventing ISIS from expanding and growing, we need to have a better job and a better handle on homegrown jihad and on combating the ideology itself.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington in January. (AP photo/J. Scott Applewhite) 
