Political Quotes

“after voting down sensible gun measures earlier this week, Republicans want to change the subject. They want to resort to scare tactics to divert the attention of the American people. Now, they are offering an overbroad proposal that they argue is needed to keep this country safe. Let's be clear about what we need to stay safe. We need universal background checks for firearms purchases. We need to give the FBI the authority to deny guns to individuals suspected of terrorism. Senate Republicans rejected those sensible measures last night, but we still have the chance to give law enforcement real tools to fight terrorism and violent crime. We should strengthen our laws to make it easier to prosecute firearms traffickers and straw purchasers who put guns in the hands of terrorists and criminals. And we need to fund the FBI and the Justice Department so they have the resources they need to combat acts of terrorism and hate. Those are the elements of the amendment that Senators Mikulski, Baldwin, Nelson, and I have filed--and those are among the actions that Congress could take to protect this country. Instead Republicans are proposing to reduce independent oversight of FBI surveillance of Americans' Internet activities and make permanent a law that, as of last year, had never been used. And I should note that this is the same law that the Republican leadership in the Senate allowed to expire just last year.…”