Washington, D.C. - Following four votes on gun control reform on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is releasing the following statement:
“Tonight, the Senate defaulted on its basic obligation to keep America safe. Universal background checks and a ban of those on the terrorist watchlist from buying guns represent the bare minimum steps the Senate should take to address gun violence. Some in the U.S. Senate believe that there’s nothing our nation, the most powerful in the world, can do to confront gun violence, which killed 33,646 Americans in 2014, but enforce existing law. I refuse to accept that. That’s not who we are. We’re a nation of people who have always sought solutions to difficult challenges; the scourge of gun violence should be no different. I’ll continue to push for a ban on military-style weapons, limits on magazine and clip sizes, a ban on those on the terror watchlist and those who have committed violent misdemeanor hate crimes from purchasing firearms and universal background checks. The victims of gun violence, from large-scale tragedies like Newtown and Orlando and also from the daily crisis of shootings in cities in Pennsylvania and around the country, deserve better. Every day, an average of 91 Americans are killed with guns and robbed of their futures. Members of the Senate should know that their condolences are not enough, only action will meet the test of justice.”
