Newtown Action Alliance Applauds the Historic House Vote on Gun Violence Prevention
FFor Immediate Release
June 9, 2022
Press Contact:
John Kelley
917-679-6475
jkelley@newtownaction.org
Newtown Action Alliance Applauds the Historic House Vote on Gun Violence Prevention
Calls on the Senate to End The Filibuster for an Up-or-Down Vote on the Protect Our Children Act and Other Lifesaving Legislation
Newtown, CT- Newtown Action Alliance applauds the House of Representatives for passing H.R. 7910, the Protect our Children Act, a historic omnibus gun violence prevention bill that would significantly strengthen the nation’s gun laws to prevent shooting tragedies like Uvalde, Buffalo, and Tulsa.
“We thank the House Democrats and House Republicans who voted to stand with the majority of Americans who support common sense gun laws by passing the Protect Our Children Act. Since my neighbor killed 20 children and six educators in Sandy Hook nearly a decade ago, we have been pushing for Congress to be bold and pass a set of comprehensive measures to keep our children and families safe,” said Po Murray, Chairwoman of Newtown Action Alliance. “Guns are now the number one killer of children and teens in America. We call on the Senate to immediately end the filibuster to give us an up-or-down vote on the Protect Our Children Act. After three decades of congressional inaction and millions of gun violence victims buried or wounded, Americans deserve to know whether or not their Senators stand with our children or the gun lobby.”
“After my 15-year-old Ethan was killed by an unsecured gun at his best friend's home 4 years ago, I have met with over 300 Members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, to urge them to support Ethan’s Law to require gun owners to secure their guns to keep our kids safe. Today, Ethan’s Law passed in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. I urge Senate Republicans to join the Senate Democrats to vote on the Protect Our Children Act to prevent other mothers in America from being inflicted with the soul-crushing, unimaginable pain of losing their children to gun violence,” said Kristin Song, Board Advisor of Newtown Action Alliance and cofounder of Ethan Miller Song Foundation.
“I know firsthand what the Uvalde parents are going through right now. My 14-year-old daughter Kimberly was killed by a 17-year-old with an unsecured gun at Santa Fe High School in 2018. I thank the House Democrats and House Republicans who supported the Kimberly Vaughan Safe Storage bill named after my daughter Kimberly. I am deeply saddened and angry that my Representative Randy Weber stood with the gun lobby instead of my daughter, nine others from Sandy Fe, 19 children and 2 educators who were murdered in Uvalde by voting against the Protect Our Children Act,” said Rhona Hart from Santa Fe, Texas.
“Our children’s lives are not up for negotiation. Senate Democrats must end the filibuster and pass these lifesaving gun bills now. My parents were taken from me by gun violence in 2005 and every day I send my kids to school, I am afraid they won’t come home”, said Tara Donnelly from Fairfield, Connecticut.
“My 15-year-old son survived the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. A year later, two of my family members died by gun murder suicide. Two years after that, my husband lost two law enforcement colleagues who, while serving a search warrant, were massacred by a child predator with an assault rifle. One million Americans have been shot since Sandy Hook. It is beyond time for our elected leaders to act and break the grip of the gun lobby on our safety and freedoms. I call on the Senate to end the filibuster to pass the Protect Our Children Act,” said Angela Weber, Director of Community Engagement of Newtown Action Alliance.
Newtown Action Alliance urges the House of Representatives to also pass the following lifesaving policies and send them to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for a Senate vote:
● Assault Weapons Ban
● Extreme Risk Protection
● Repeal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act
● Break the Cycle of Violence Act
Newtown Action Alliance also urges the Senate to end the filibuster to pass the two background check bills passed out of the House of Representatives last March and swiftly confirm Steve Dettelbach as the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which hasn’t had a Senate-confirmed Director since 2015.
“It’s too late to save the children in Uvalde, the elders in Buffalo, anddoctors in Tulsa but it’s not too late to save others”, said Murray.
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Newtown Action Alliance (www.NewtownActionAlliance.org) is a Newtown-based, national grassroots organization formed after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Our mission is to achieve the steady and continuous reduction of gun violence through legislative and cultural changes.