Linda Weber’s Statement on the Horrific School Shooting in Parkland, Florida and the Urgent Need for Congressional Republicans to Take Action

My heart breaks for the families of the 17 victims as well as the survivors who will forever be traumatized by this horrific tragedy. I cannot begin to fathom the immense pain that they are feeling.

This tragedy marks the 18th school shooting and the 29th mass shooting in 2018, and it is well past time that Congress take action to address the epidemic of gun violence in our country. A troubled teenager with a history of violence against women and other students was able to legally purchase an AR-15 assault rifle in a country where gun violence has reached crisis levels; this is unacceptable.

As a nation, we do not have to accept gun violence as inevitable; it is not. We have a crisis because Congress and in particular Congressional Republicans have refused to take any steps to address this issue. Gun violence should not be treated any differently than any other epidemic, but it is ignored because of the destructive level of influence that the NRA and their political donations wield over too many of our elected leaders.

Poll after poll shows that the overwhelming majority of Americans support stronger gun safety protections. Lowering flags and tweeting “thoughts and prayers” will not address this problem, but legislation and enforcement will. Our nation has a gun murder rate 25 times higher than that of other high-income countries where stronger gun safety laws are in place. I’m calling on Rep. Leonard Lance to denounce the NRA and join with Democrats on any of the many pieces of stalled legislation aimed at saving lives from gun violence.