Lucy McBath, Other Gun Violence Prevention Advocates and Survivors Available for Interviews Upon Request
WASHINGTON — Everytown for Gun Safety, the country’s largest gun violence prevention organization, and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America – part of Everytown for Gun Safety – today released the following statement after the historic sit-in led by Congressman John Lewis and other House Democrats calling for a vote on gun safety legislation.
Volunteers with Moms Demand Action stood in front of the Capitol steps with hundreds of advocates throughout yesterday and into Thursday morning to show support for the House Democrats’ efforts and urge Congress to find a way to pass legislation to reduce the gun violence that kills 91 Americans and injures hundreds more every day. Members of Congress, civil rights leaders and gun violence survivors joined at different moments during the rally to encourage and thank the supporters. In addition, more than 170,000 Americans have called their Member of Congress in the last 24-hours.
The sit-in and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi’s press conference yesterday came just two days after the U.S. Senate failed to close two critical gaps in our nation’s gun laws, including a deadly loophole that makes it easy for criminals to avoid background checks by purchasing guns from unlicensed sellers online and at gun shows and the Terror Gap, which allows suspected terrorists to legally purchase guns.
STATEMENT FROM LUCY MCBATH, FAITH AND OUTREACH LEADER FOR EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY, MOTHER OF SLAIN TEEN JORDAN DAVIS AND DAUGHTER OF FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE ILLINOIS BRANCH OF THE NAACP FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS:
“This historic event may have come to a close, but the fight for sensible gun laws is far from over. The need to do more to prevent the daily toll of gun violence is truly part of American consciousness now —in just one day, nearly 170,000 people called their member of Congress and urged them to close the loopholes in our gun laws that put public safety at risk. We will carry this momentum with us as we move forward and continue our call for action into the recess period where members will hear directly from their constituents back home that we demand action—for Orlando and for all the victims of gun violence.”