On the recordMarch 14, 2018
There are so many important issues and such little time, but today I want to stand in solidarity with my colleagues, with parents, with students, and with Americans across the country who are calling for action to address the crisis of gun control. Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to connect with nearly 150 students and their parents in my district at a townhall meeting. I listened to their personal worries and worst fears. I heard their thoughts and the solutions they want decisionmakers here in Washington to consider. I felt the emotional strain of wondering if their own classrooms were safe. Above all else, I heard the question: Why? Why can't we limit access to military-style weapons specifically built to maximize damage? Why can't we improve the background check process? Why won't Congress act? Why? Why? The President recently set forth a series of empty proposals that continue our practice of shrinking away from these questions. Arming teachers, school personnel, and volunteers is dangerous, ill-conceived, and does nothing to solve the problems we have with gun violence. To keep our children safe, we need fewer guns, not more. And in backing away from his initial pledge to limit access, the President again prioritized the interests of the National Rifle Association over the pleas of countless students, teachers, and parents. In fact, he is the one who has demonstrated that he is afraid of the NRA.…
