In wake of Mass Shootings in Gilroy, El Paso, and Dayton, Rep. Susie Lee Calls on Senate Majority Leader McConnell to Call Senate to Session to Pass Gun Safety Legislation
Las Vegas, NV - Today, Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03) joined 213 members of Congress to urge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to call the Senate back into session to pass H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act. After one of the deadliest weekends of the year, where at least 31 people were killed in mass shootings in El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH, the American people are fed up with continued congressional inaction. The House of Representatives passed two bipartisan bills that provide real solutions to curb gun violence, and Senate Majority Leader McConnell has allowed 161 days to pass without bringing these bills to the Senate floor for a vote.
Rep. Susie Lee released the following statement:
"Our country is in a crisis. Americans are scared to go to the supermarket, to school, or to a concert because of the real fear that they could be gunned down in cold blood. The lives lost last week in Gilroy, El Paso, Dayton, and Chicago are not isolated, but part of a pattern of gun violence and domestic terrorism that continues to grow as Congress fails to act. Our country is better than this, and it's time that Congress takes real action to end the gun violence epidemic. The House passed two bipartisan background checks bills that provide real solutions to curb gun violence and save lives. Senate Majority Leader McConnell must finally do his job and call the Senate back into session to pass this common sense gun safety legislation. The American people cannot wait any longer."
The full letter to Senate Majority Leader McConnell
The Honorable Mitch McConnellMajority LeaderUnited States SenateThe Capitol, S-230Washington, DC 20500Dear Leader McConnell:
We strongly urge you to take immediate action to call the Senate back into session to pass H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and H.R 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act.
In February, the new Democratic House Majority took swift action to pass these bipartisan bills which not only save lives, but also has the support of more than 90 percent of the American people. Since that time, you have allowed more than 150 days to pass and countless lives have been lost including those most recently lost in Gilroy, California, El Paso, Texas, Dayton, Ohio, Chicago, Illinois and the many others who will never make the headlines.
This inaction must stop. We know background checks save lives. Every day background checks stop more than 170 felons and 50 domestic abusers from getting a gun. Any delay to pass commonsense gun violence prevention legislation only increases the chances that more innocent people in America may suffer from the tragic and needless loss caused by gun violence.
Again, we urge you to follow the leadership of the House Democratic Majority and immediately come back into session to pass H.R 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act, that could prevent dangerous criminals from obtaining weapons and save lives.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter of great urgency to the American people.