Rep. George Santos is co-sponsoring a bill that would declare the AR-15 to be the National Gun of America.

The move comes as several lawmakers recently criticized Santos for wearing an AR-15 lapel pin on the floor of the House last month following a series of deadly shootings.

The bill was introduced last Friday by Alabama Republican Rep. Barry Moore - an avid gun rights activist.

Political analyst Michael Dawidziak says that Santos represents a very moderate district, but this position is extreme.

There is currently no national gun, and the AR-15 has become very controversial because it has been the weapon of choice for many mass shootings across the country.

"To pick a gun that had become such a symbol of sorrow to people in mass shootings just seems incredibly insensitive," Dawidziak says.

Dawidziak says Santos may have backed the bill because the gun lobby can be a very rich source for funds for elected officials.

Meanwhile, Gov. Kathy Hochul made a statement saying, "It's outrageous and appalling that New York Congressman Santos would attach his name to legislation that would designate the AR-15 as the 'national gun of the United States.' This weapon of war has been used in mass shootings across the United States - from my hometown of Buffalo, where the shooter used a modified AR-15 to murder ten people in a despicable act of white supremacist terrorism, to Parkland, Florida, where the shooter killed seventeen innocent people with an AR-15-style weapon. The families and friends of those killed in Parkland have become heroic advocates for gun safety - including the Beigel-Schulman family of Dix Hills, who fight for change in memory of their son, Scott. This bill, which attempts to glorify the weapons that have been part of such horrific tragedies, adds unforgivable insult to injury for those families. It should never become law, and Congressman Santos should immediately remove his name from it, if he has any respect for New Yorkers."

A spokesperson for Santos' office tells News 12 that constituents of the congressman's district have been staunch Second Amendment supporters. They say Santos chose to co-sponsor legislation that pushes back on banning AR-15s.