PENNSYLVANIA — Senator Bob Casey, fresh off of joining the Democratic sit-in in the House and the Democratic filibuster in the Senate, has continued his call to urge the Senate to act on gun violence. And he’s backing his calls with action — he voted to expand background checks and keep guns out of terrorists’ hands. Following the worst mass shooting in US history, he also proposed legislation to keep guns away from people convicted of hate crimes.
Read Senator Casey’s letter to the editor:
Philadelphia Inquirer: Casey: Senate must take action
On Monday, the U.S. Senate defaulted on its basic obligation to keep America safe by rejecting common sense gun legislation to expand background checks for firearms purchases (“Gridlock on gun violence,” Tuesday).
Universal background checks and a ban of those on the terrorist watch list from buying guns represent the bare minimum steps the Senate should take to address gun violence. Some senators believe the only thing our nation can do to confront gun violence, which killed 33,646 Americans in 2014, is enforce existing law. I refuse to accept that. That’s not who we are.
I’ll continue to push for commonsense reform to keep the people of Pennsylvania and the nation safe. The victims of gun violence, including large-scale tragedies such as Newtown, Conn., and Orlando as well as the daily crisis of shootings in cities in Pennsylvania and around the country, deserve better.
Every day, an average of 91 Americans are killed with guns and robbed of their futures. Members of the Senate should know that their condolences are not enough; only action will meet the test of justice.
Bob Casey, U.S. Senator, Scranton
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