It may be time to reconsider an assault weapons ban after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., says Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat and member of the National Rifle Association.
"We're not talking about infringing on Second Amendment rights at all," Manchin told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" on Monday. "What we're talking about is having not only dialogue but movement on the type of weapons being used."
He said Sen. Dianne Feinstein's bill to ban assault weapons should be discussed seriously in the wake of the Connecticut tragedy.
Manchin, a hunter, said he's hunted with someone with an assault weapon or with multiple clips of 10, 15, 20, or 30 rounds.
Gov. Howard Dean told CNBC in a separate interview that the NRA is "out of control" in its opposition to stricter gun laws.
"You do not need an assault weapon or a semiautomatic rifle to hunt a deer," he said. "This is ridiculous. We do need to deal with these weapons. These weapons do not belong in the public's hands."
Manchin wants the NRA to be part of any discussion on implementing stricter gun laws.
"I want the NRA engaged in this dialogue," he said. "What we're asking is all of us to come together to see a reasonable approach that we can take."
Manchin added, "I believe we can protect the Second Amendment, and do all of this, in a very intelligent, grown-up, and civil manner."
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