Rep. Bass on Sutherland Springs Shooting: "It's Time to Stop Favoring the Gun Lobby Over the Lives of Community Members"

Press Release

Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) released the following statement after multiple people were killed and injured in a shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas:

"I'm deeply saddened by this devastating attack. 36 days of thoughts and prayers from Congress since our country's worst mass shooting in history obviously haven't worked. It's time to stop favoring the gun lobby over the lives of community members. We need reform."

Last Wednesday, Rep. Bass joined House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. in sending a letter signed by every democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, urging him to hold hearings on gun violence in America.

In their letter to Chairman Goodlatte, the Members wrote, "To be clear, we are not writing simply because of the high toll of death and injuries in Las Vegas, but because -- despite progress we have made in decreasing crime in our country over the past two decades -- on average, more than 11,000 people are murdered with guns in America ever year, and more than 60,000 individuals are injured in an attack. Congress has a responsibility to find a way to help prevent tragedies like Las Vegas, as well as the daily incidence of gun violence in our communities. That responsibility starts in this Committee, and we are disappointed that this Committee has not addressed this issue at all this Congress."

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