06.20.16

Durbin Statement on Failure of Senate to Advance Gun Violence Amendments

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Senate failed to advance two pieces of critical gun reform legislation called for by Senate Democrats last week:
  
After September 11th, our country vowed that we would never again allow Americans to be slaughtered by terrorists like that. So we changed the law. We tightened security at our airports to prevent that kind of attack from happening again. Tonight, the Senate turned its back on victims of gun violence from Orlando to San Bernardino, from Newtown to the streets of Chicago. Tonight the Senate voted to allow suspected terrorists to continue to purchase firearms and explosives. The Senate voted against requiring background checks for gun sales—something the overwhelming majority of Americans want. Why? Because too many Senators don’t have the guts to stand up to the NRA, lest we slow the arms trade in America by a fraction in the name of protecting our communities.
  
Too many guns are getting into the hands of dangerous people and that must change. We won’t stop pushing these reforms until they do.