Jayapal Statement on Las Vegas Shooting

Statement

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal released the following statement in response to the mass shooting in Las Vegas:

"My heart goes out to the victims and the families impacted by the horrific shooting in Las Vegas. Mass shootings have ravaged our country and claimed thousands of innocent lives. Gun violence in this country is a public health crisis and we must do everything we can to address it.

"I am tired of being outraged. I'm tired of praying or sending thoughts. I'm tired of letting men, women and children in every single part of this country be subject to mass shootings because a political gun lobby won't put people over profit. This is not what our founders intended by the "right to bear arms.'

"With rights come responsibilities: the responsibility to close the loopholes in who sells and gets guns; the responsibility to put in place reasonable protections making sure our children don't have access to guns in the home and those with severe mental illness don't have guns; the responsibility to address despair and illness with living wage jobs and necessary levels of funding for housing and mental health; the responsibility to oppose the bill the gun lobby is putting forth making it easier to purchase silencers -- and even harder to know when a gun has been fired.

"More than 80 percent of gun owners and 74 percent of NRA members support common sense solutions like criminal background checks, according to surveys. I have a plea today for gun owners across this country. I do not believe that the NRA is lobbying for what you believe in -- show them that you mean business by speaking out or giving up your membership in the NRA. Show them that you care about the American people and that you want to stop this lobby from profiting from death.

"This is a problem with a clear solution -- yet far too many members of Congress, backed by the gun lobby, refuse to lift a finger to fight this epidemic of violence. This is our responsibility. Enough is enough."

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