José E. Serrano: “I am really troubled by this amendment because it wants to destroy an agreement which is for the good of the American…”

“I am really troubled by this amendment because it wants to destroy an agreement which is for the good of the American people and, in fact, for the good of the gun manufacturing industry. On the safety front, Smith & Wesson agreed to measures like internal safety locks, smart gun technology, child safety trigger resistance, chamber load indicators, and many other provisions that will cut down on accidental shootings and make guns less attractive to criminals. What Smith & Wesson did was, in fact, show for the first time in a very significant way that this issue can be taken seriously as a manufacturer; that they do not have to run away from their responsibilities; that, yes, they can stay in business and still do the right thing by the American people and American children. For that reason, I think that opposing the implementation of the agreement at this point is a vote for less safety and less responsible distribution. To kill the implementation of the agreement sends a strong signal to the rest of the gun industry that they should just keep resisting common sense reform while communities throughout America pay the price.”