Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) sparred aggressively Thursday during Senate Judiciary Committee debate over assault weapons ban legislation.
The Associated Press reported on the heated exchange:
Thursday's debate included a fiery clash between Feinstein, D-Calif., the ban's author, and outspoken freshman conservative Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Cruz said Feinstein's bill would create exceptions to the Second Amendment and asked her if she would favor exemptions to the First Amendment's freedom of speech by denying that right to certain books.
"I'm not a sixth-grader," said a visibly upset Feinstein. She described her decades in Congress involved in gun control debates and said, "I'm reasonably well-educated, and thank you for the lecture."
Feinstein went on to recall her past encounters with gun violence. She then objected to Cruz's suggestion that her bill would violate the Second Amendment by restricting some weapons, while exempting thousands of others.
“Is this not enough for the people of the United States?” she asked. “Do they need a bazooka?”
Cruz then accused Feinstein of avoiding the question.
The committee eventually approved the legislation on a party-line vote.
Watch the entire exchange above.
(Read more on the assault weapons ban here.)
CORRECTION: This article has been updated to reflect that Feinstein is a Democrat, not a Republican.