shatto
01-29-2013, 03:59 PM
Dear Mr. Shatto,
Thank you for contacting me to share your views on gun control.
Recently, we experienced one of the most horrific tragedies in recent memory. Twenty-six elementary school students and adults were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. We have had far too many of these tragedies in the past few years. Now is the time for action.
Yet, despite strong public support for common-sense gun laws, and despite our nation's tragic history of mass shootings, the gun lobby has consistently and successfully thwarted even modest gun safety provisions.
As you know, President Obama recently announced his recommendations to address ways to reduce gun violence in schools and elsewhere, based on the recommendations of Vice President Biden's gun violence task force which included the input of mental health experts, law enforcement organizations, gun owners, and others.
His plan includes legislation calling for a universal background check for gun purchases, including those from private gun sales and gun shows, and new bans on assault type weapons and high capacity magazine clips. The president also announced 23 executive actions that he will sign immediately covering changes to education and mental health, increasing authority to conduct national research on guns, more aggressive enforcement of existing gun laws, cracking down on gun trafficking, and wider sharing of existing gun databases among federal and state agencies.
The president's comprehensive plan also addresses deficiencies in the nation's criminal justice, education and mental health systems. His proposals address anti-bullying measures and additional training for school counselors and mental health professionals.
I applaud President Obama for moving so quickly to develop a comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence in the United States and in our schools. I support his proposal and urge Congress to work quickly to pass it. I also will be working in the weeks and months ahead with my colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and in the House Education and the Workforce Committee on sensible steps to increase safety in our schools to ensure our children's days are spent learning and growing, not in fear for their lives. Nothing is more important than the safety of our children.
There are some people who believe that all gun control measures violate the Second Amendment to the Constitution. This belief is not consistent with constitutional law. The United States Supreme Court in 1980 held in Lewis v. United States that "legislative restrictions on the use of firearms do not trench upon any constitutionally protected liberties." The federal government may regulate the ownership of firearms, and such regulation is vital to curbing violence.
It is a sad fact of reality that we will never be able to prevent every instance of gun violence. This reality, however, does not make our efforts irrelevant. Instead, it makes our efforts even more vital. I believe that with passage of legislation to provide comprehensive enhancement of existing gun laws and of other sensible and meaningful provisions, we could reduce gun violence in this country and help keep firearms out of the hands of children and criminals.
I believe we can all support a comprehensive approach to reduce gun violence and strengthen our nation's gun laws while protecting law abiding citizens' right to own firearms. Everyone must be at the table. We have the ability to reduce gun violence without curbing the rights of legitimate gun owners and I look forward to working with my colleagues and the Administration to see that we accomplish this vital goal.
Together we can work to make sure the lives lost in Newtown, Connecticut, and elsewhere around the country were not lost in vain by doing everything in our power to address the issue of gun violence.
I appreciate knowing of your views on this very important issue.
Sincerely,
GEORGE MILLER
Member of Congress
P.S. Keep up with the latest news from Washington at GeorgeMiller.house.gov and Facebook.com/RepGeorgeMiller.
Thank you for contacting me to share your views on gun control.
Recently, we experienced one of the most horrific tragedies in recent memory. Twenty-six elementary school students and adults were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. We have had far too many of these tragedies in the past few years. Now is the time for action.
Yet, despite strong public support for common-sense gun laws, and despite our nation's tragic history of mass shootings, the gun lobby has consistently and successfully thwarted even modest gun safety provisions.
As you know, President Obama recently announced his recommendations to address ways to reduce gun violence in schools and elsewhere, based on the recommendations of Vice President Biden's gun violence task force which included the input of mental health experts, law enforcement organizations, gun owners, and others.
His plan includes legislation calling for a universal background check for gun purchases, including those from private gun sales and gun shows, and new bans on assault type weapons and high capacity magazine clips. The president also announced 23 executive actions that he will sign immediately covering changes to education and mental health, increasing authority to conduct national research on guns, more aggressive enforcement of existing gun laws, cracking down on gun trafficking, and wider sharing of existing gun databases among federal and state agencies.
The president's comprehensive plan also addresses deficiencies in the nation's criminal justice, education and mental health systems. His proposals address anti-bullying measures and additional training for school counselors and mental health professionals.
I applaud President Obama for moving so quickly to develop a comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence in the United States and in our schools. I support his proposal and urge Congress to work quickly to pass it. I also will be working in the weeks and months ahead with my colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and in the House Education and the Workforce Committee on sensible steps to increase safety in our schools to ensure our children's days are spent learning and growing, not in fear for their lives. Nothing is more important than the safety of our children.
There are some people who believe that all gun control measures violate the Second Amendment to the Constitution. This belief is not consistent with constitutional law. The United States Supreme Court in 1980 held in Lewis v. United States that "legislative restrictions on the use of firearms do not trench upon any constitutionally protected liberties." The federal government may regulate the ownership of firearms, and such regulation is vital to curbing violence.
It is a sad fact of reality that we will never be able to prevent every instance of gun violence. This reality, however, does not make our efforts irrelevant. Instead, it makes our efforts even more vital. I believe that with passage of legislation to provide comprehensive enhancement of existing gun laws and of other sensible and meaningful provisions, we could reduce gun violence in this country and help keep firearms out of the hands of children and criminals.
I believe we can all support a comprehensive approach to reduce gun violence and strengthen our nation's gun laws while protecting law abiding citizens' right to own firearms. Everyone must be at the table. We have the ability to reduce gun violence without curbing the rights of legitimate gun owners and I look forward to working with my colleagues and the Administration to see that we accomplish this vital goal.
Together we can work to make sure the lives lost in Newtown, Connecticut, and elsewhere around the country were not lost in vain by doing everything in our power to address the issue of gun violence.
I appreciate knowing of your views on this very important issue.
Sincerely,
GEORGE MILLER
Member of Congress
P.S. Keep up with the latest news from Washington at GeorgeMiller.house.gov and Facebook.com/RepGeorgeMiller.