‘Squad’ Rep. Pressley wants voting age lowered to 16, gun buying age raised to 21

Rep. Ayanna Pressley wants to lower the voting age to 16 while raising the age to purchase a gun to 21. The amendment to lower the voting age has failed twice in the House.

“Squad” Rep. Ayanna Pressley wants to lower the voting age to 16 but also wants to raise the age to buy a firearm to 21.

Pressley, a progressive House Democrat, is one of the many members of her ideological wing pushing for the voting age to be lowered to 16.

However, the Massachusetts lawmaker simultaneously wants to raise the age to buy a gun to 21.

MAJORITY OF HOUSE DEMOCRATS VOTE IN FAVOR OF LOWERING VOTING AGE TO 16

Rep. Ayanna Pressley wants to raise the age to buy a firearm to 21. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Pressley did not respond to Fox News Digital’s question as to why she believes 16-year-olds are mature enough to vote but 20-year-olds are not mature enough to buy a gun.

The Massachusetts Democrat unsuccessfully tried to push an amendment to the House Democrats’ voting rights overhaul bill last year, with the amendment failing handily with a 302-125 vote.

“A 16-year-old in 2021 possesses a wisdom and a maturity that comes from 2021 challenges, 2021 hardships, and 2021 threats,” Pressley said in March of last year. “Now is the time for us to demonstrate the courage that matches the challenges of the modern-day 16- and 17-year-old.”

Rep. Pressley has unsuccessfully pushed to lower the federal voting age to 16. (Getty)

Pressley also said in a Facebook live conversation after the amendment failed that she was “shocked” the idea of lowering the voting age to 16 was “polarizing.”

Left-wing efforts to lower the voting age failed to pass a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives twice since 2019.

The proposed amendment to lower the voting age has failed twice in the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives since 2019. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Conservatives have pushed back on the idea, with several calling out the motives behind such a push as data shows younger Americans tend to vote blue.

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Based on the razor-thin vote margins, though, the idea does not have enough backing even among House Democrats to clear the majority hurdle.

Additionally, in an election year projecting heavy Republican gains in the House, it is unlikely the voting age will be lowered anytime soon.