Political Quotes

“I want to thank Senator Casey for his passion on this issue, and I want to thank Senators Blumenthal and Murphy for bringing us here together. The logic here is inescapable. I can't explain to my constituents, nor can Senator Casey explain to his, why the universal background check has not been on the floor of the Senate for a vote. Let us do our will. This is an issue that we have talked about for years. The majority leader has refused to bring this up for a vote so that the will of the majority can prevail. That is what we are simply asking for. It was in February of this year that the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill to deal with universal background checks. It passed by a large majority, and we now understand the urgency of our considering legislation. Inaction is not an option. We have to do what we can to deal with the crisis at hand. What is the crisis? One hundred people are killed every day in this country by gun violence; 310 are shot, by the way; 210 are injured; and 100 are killed every day of the week, 7 days a week. Since the House has acted on this bill, about 11,000 Americans have been killed. This is urgent. Every day makes a difference. In my State of Maryland, over 180 people have been killed by gun violence since the House passed the bipartisan universal background check legislation in February of this year. It is the second leading cause of death among children and first among African-American children.…”