Newtown Action Alliance Endorses Hillary Clinton for President of the United States

For Immediate Release
February 5, 2016

Contact:
John Kelley
jkelley@newtownaction.org
917-679-6475

Newtown Action Alliance Endorses Hillary Clinton for President of the United States

Newtown, CT– Ahead of the New Hampshire Primary, the Newtown Action Alliance releases the following endorsement statement:

We, the Newtown Action Alliance (NAA), endorse Hillary Clinton for President of the United States of America.

The senseless shooting that killed 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012, shattered millions of hearts across the nation. This day of terror mobilized a group of grieving citizens from Newtown to work to transform the community tragedy into meaningful action to end gun violence in our nation. For the last three years, the Newtown Action Alliance has been working with families of victims, survivors and dedicated advocates to honor all lives lost to gun violence by pushing for legislative and cultural change.

The brutal shooting of first graders and teachers in a neighborhood elementary school should have been the watershed moment for Congress to take action to reduce the growing epidemic of gun violence in our country. It was heartbreaking and appalling to witness the Senate defeating the background check bill only four months after the Sandy Hook shooting, particularly when over 90% of Americans including over 80% of gun owners supported background checks on the sale of firearms.

Gun violence is a costly public health epidemic. Since the Sandy Hook shooting, guns have killed more than 100,000 Americans and nearly 250,000 more Americans have been shot and injured by guns. The San Bernardino shooting was the 355th mass shooting incident in 2015, and there have been more than 165 school shootings since Newtown. The annual financial cost of gun violence in America is more than $229 billion. The loss felt by the families of victims and survivors of gun violence is immeasurable.

While Congress sits idle, President Obama kept his promise to Newtown with his historic executive actions to reduce gun violence. The leading Republican presidential candidates have criticized the President for taking these actions, and they have promised to undo them if elected. On the campaign trail, these candidates continuously pander to the National Rifle Association (NRA), the Newtown-based National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and other gun lobby groups by spewing dangerous rhetoric that helps to sell more guns to increase corporate profits for the gun industry—blood money.

Of all the presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton has the most consistent and strongest record on gun violence prevention. She worked with the Brady Campaign to gain support for the Brady Bill and President Bill Clinton signed the final bill into law in 1993. On the other hand, Bernie Sanders has an inconsistent record. He voted against the Brady Bill five times while voting to support the NRA-supported Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which gave the gun industry broad immunity from liability. With good sense, Senator Clinton voted against the PLCAA, to avoid making the gun industry the only industry that is protected from lawsuits when its products lead to violence and death.

The competitive race against Hillary Clinton pushed Bernie Sanders to take a stronger stance on gun violence prevention. However, we need a president who will be the strongest leader and a consistent advocate for the families of victims of gun violence and survivors, a president who understands that gun violence is an urgent public health issue impacting more and more families and communities in our nation, a president who will fight tooth and nail to keep all Americans safe from gun violence on our city streets, a president who will work tirelessly to ensure that communities such as Newtown will not face another tragedy that will shatter the hearts of our nation again.

There is a clear choice. There is only one presidential candidate who stands out above the rest on the issue of gun violence prevention. That candidate is Hillary Clinton, and we are confident she will go toe-to-toe with the corporate gun lobby to protect our children, our families, and our communities in our towns and cities.

###

The Newtown Action Alliance (www.newtownaction.org) is a grassroots organization formed after the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It works to make America’s children, families, and all citizens safer through legislative and cultural change that will reduce gun violence.

This message was made independently of any candidate or political party.