[Mass Shootings]
Rep. Barbara Lee: “I join my colleagues and gun safety advocacy groups in urging Senate Leader McConnell to call an emergency session to take up the gun safety bills that have already been passed by the House of Representatives.”
Photo:
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) released this statement on the need for common-sense gun reform in the wake of the deadly mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio:
“My deepest sympathies and sincerest condolences to all those who lost loved ones in El Paso, Texas – my hometown – and Dayton, Ohio, this weekend. My prayers are also with all of those injured. These two communities are forever changed by these horrific tragedies.
“I join my colleagues and gun safety advocacy groups in urging Senate Leader McConnell to call an emergency session to take up the gun safety bills that have already been passed by the House of Representatives.
“In February, the House passed HR 8 and HR 1112 – bipartisan bills that would require background checks on nearly all gun purchases and extend the waiting period for individuals looking to purchase a gun from a licensed dealer. 60% of Americans support stricter gun laws in the United States. The continued refusal of the Senate to take up these bills is a national disgrace. Every day that they wait, more lives will be lost.
“But we also have to call out this White House for its role in creating the hateful environment that has produced the kinds of shootings that we’ve seen in El Paso, Texas, and Gilroy, California.
“We cannot accept a country where white supremacist violence is tolerated or expected. These are acts of domestic terrorism. And we have to be clear on that.
“The longer we wait to take action, the more lives that will be needlessly lost. It’s beyond past time to pass these urgently needed gun safety measures, and I expect that Leader McConnell will finally do his job and address these horrific shootings.”
Congresswoman Lee is the Co-Chair of the Steering & Policy Committee, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chair Emeritus of the Progressive Caucus, Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus, and a Senior Democratic Whip. She also serves as Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity.
