On a day when a Texas fourth grader was telling lawmakers on Capitol Hill how she covered herself with a classmate’s blood and played dead as 19 other children and two teachers were shot to death with an AR-15 style rifle, Congressman Don Bacon voted against raising the purchase age of that type of semi-automatic weapon and other similar guns from 18 to 21.

“I oppose raising the age of purchase because this country trusts young adults at the age of 18 to vote and to serve in the military protecting our country,” said Bacon, a three-term Omaha area Republican running against Democrat Tony Vargas in November.

While Bacon has been backed by the National Rifle Association, Vote Smart reports that Vargas has a failing 17 percent rating from the NRA. 

Also testifying before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday was Dr. Roy Guerrero, a pediatrician at Uvalde Memorial Hospital who spent that deadly day treating victims.

"Two children, whose bodies had been so pulverized by the bullets fired at them, decapitated, whose flesh had been so ripped apart, that the only clue as to their identities were the blood-spattered cartoon clothes still clinging to them," he said. "Clinging for life and finding none."

Meanwhile, Bacon argues the bill he opposed would have done nothing to address mental health concerns or increase security in schools. 

“What this piece of legislation does not do is address how the shooter in the majority of these incidents has exhibited concerning behaviors on social media and in public,” said Bacon.

The Democratic-controlled House approved the added gun controls in a 223-204 vote.

Five Republicans supported the measure, two Democrats opposed it.

It now heads to the Senate where it will likely die, but a bipartisan group of senators is negotiating a narrower compromise bill that they say would strengthen background checks, improve mental health services and bolster school security.