Citing Brett Kavanaugh's Interpretation of an Unlimited 2nd Amendment, Governor Cuomo, Members of Congressional Black Caucus and New York Congressional Delegation Call on Senate to Block His Confirmation

Press Release

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the New York Congressional Delegation today called on the United States Senate to block the confirmation of President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, citing his interpretation of an unlimited Second Amendment. In response to the threat of Judge Kavanaugh's extreme conservative views on gun violence and positions on semiautomatic rifles, the Governor and members of Congress are calling on members of the Senate to oppose his confirmation and pass meaningful gun safety legislation. At the same time, while Washington continues to block meaningful gun control, the Governor announced a new $3 million investment to combat gun violence across the state, and called on the New York State Senate to reconvene and pass the Red Flag Gun Protection Bill.

"Judge Kavanaugh is President Trump's latest gift to the NRA," Governor Cuomo said. "His past opinions show that Judge Kavanaugh believes that it's a constitutional right to carry even the most dangerous assault weapons, and as a member of our nation's highest court he threatens to roll back our gun safety laws and put our communities in danger. As the nation rises up and calls for action on guns, we cannot let the Trump administration take us backwards. In New York, we believe in common sense gun safety and will fight against JudgeKavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court as we continue to lead the way on gun safety."

President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has repeatedly expressed opinions that broadly interpret the Second Amendment to allow unfettered access to semiautomatic weapons, concealed carry and other extreme views on guns that fly in the face of New York State law, public safety and prior Supreme Court rulings that explicitly demonstrate the Second Amendment is not absolute. If confirmed, Brett Kavanaugh and his extreme views would pose a severe risk to New York State's nation-leading gun safety laws and roll back progress on gun control across the nation.

With the recent uptick in mass shootings and loss of life caused by gun violence, Governor Cuomo and members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the New York Congressional Delegation call on the Senate to block Kavanaugh's confirmation as a moral imperative.

$3 Million Investment in SNUG Street Outreach Programs

Building on his administration's prior record, Governor Cuomo announced a new $3 million investment to embed social workers and case managers in the 11 SNUG street outreach programs throughout the state. The investment will fund outreach efforts to prevent and respond to gun violence by connecting social workers with existing violence reduction programs, specifically the state's SNUG sites, to increase access to social and mental health services for crime victims, especially youth who are impacted by the trauma and complex social needs associated with gun-involved violence. This program is positioned to make a difference in lives of those most impacted by gun violence by leveraging the street current outreach network in SNUG sites and making critical referrals to state resources.

In addition, through this year's budget, Governor Cuomo invested $13.3 million in the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative funding which provides state funding to local law enforcement agencies for equipment, overtime, personnel, such as crime analysts and prosecutors, as well as coordinated training and technical assistance, to the 17 counties outside of New York City which experience the majority of violent crime. The Governor has also provided $4.5 million in SNUG street outreach which provides state funding and training for non-profit organizations that manage street outreach programs in 11 communities and $7.0 million in Crime Analysis Center funding support to 9 regional centers serving 19 counties outside of New York City. These programs have received recent national recognition and have helped New York remain the safest large state in the nation.

Red Flag Gun Protection Bill

Governor Cuomo, joined by Congressional Black Caucus Members, called on the State Senate to reconvene and pass the Red Flag Gun Protection Bill, which would prevent individuals determined by a court to have the potential to cause themselves or others serious harm from purchasing, possessing, or attempting to purchase or possess any type of firearm, including hand guns, rifles, or shotguns. This legislation builds on New York's strongest in the nation gun laws and prior legislative efforts, and, if passed, would make New York the first in the United States to empower its teachers and school administrators to prevent school shootings by pursuing court intervention.

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said, "Judge Kavanaugh's nomination could lead to dangerous consequences for a host of reasons and chief among them are his divisive views on gun control. His extensive calls to strike down common-sense gun laws that have been adopted by a number of states in order to keep their residents safe is of great concern. At a time when Congress' inaction has forced states to take matters into their own hands, Judge Kavanaugh'sconfirmation to the Supreme Court could threaten the safety of countless communities across the country. For these and a number of additional reasons, the Senate must vote against his confirmation and Congress must come together to pass meaningful gun safety laws."

"The addition of Judge Kavanaugh to an already conservative-leaning Court will likely cement extreme legal ideology in this country for the next quarter century, which is why it is so critical that Americans know what is at stake with this nomination," said Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee. "In the coming weeks and months, Judge Kavanaugh will be presented to the Senate and the American people as part of the confirmation process, where it will be the responsibility of the Senate to uncover Judge Kavanaugh'sconservative views with regards to gun rights. As gun violence continues to plague our nation, any Justice who opposes legislative action to address this issue must be opposed. On this, and many other issues, I believe Judge Kavanaugh to be unfit for the United States Supreme Court and urge the Senate to reject his nomination."

Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) said, "Kavanaugh's nomination is a grave threat to reasonable gun control measures enacted by states. At a time when there is so little pause between gun massacres in our nation, Kavanaugh's extreme conservative views run counter to the people's overwhelming support for gun safety. New York has been a pioneer for sensible gun legislation, and it can further act by passing the Red Flag Bill by reconvening the State Senate. The time to act is now; let us not wait for yet another preventable mass shooting."

Congressman G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) said, "Judge Kavanaugh is an extreme conservative who will side with those who want to impose their views on others, including his radical stance on assault weapons. I stand with Governor Cuomo against this nomination and applaud Governor Cuomo for taking new action to keep our communities safe. While the President tries to take us backwards, we are moving forward."

Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) said, "We need a U.S. Supreme Court justice who will stand with us to help prevent the massive deaths caused each year by gun violence, not someone who will fight against us. There have been over 1700 mass shootings in the last seven years and that number continues to grow. Judge Kavanaugh's past rulings on gun violence is something that I cannot ignore. With so much at stake, it is essential that the Senate reject his nomination."

Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (D-VI) said, "A vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh is a vote for his extreme conservative views regarding gun violence. We lose eight children and teenagers to gun violence every day. If a mysterious virus suddenly started killing eight of our children every day, America would mobilize teams of doctors and public health officials. We would move heaven and earth until we found a way to protect our children. But not with gun violence. We do not need people like Judge Kavanaugh on our Supreme Court."

"The confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court would jeopardize the progress we have made combating gun violence and advancing women's rights," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. "Governor Cuomo and I are calling on Congress to reject Kavanaugh and support gun safety legislation that would protect people across the nation. With gun violence continuing to impact communities, the State Senate should return to Albany, get back to work, and pass the Red Flag Bill to ensure the safety of our students and all New Yorkers."

New Yorkers Against Gun Violence Executive Director Rebecca Fischer said, "With Kavanaugh's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court a serious concern, we are grateful for the Governor's unwavering commitment to protecting New Yorkers from gun violence. Together, we continue to urge passage of an Extreme Risk (Red Flag) Protection Order law and other critical measures that will keep guns away from our communities and those who may cause harm. The state's new funding for SNUG and GIVE will support our efforts to keep our neighborhoods safe. We are proud to stand with New York's Congressional leadership and the Governor to make it clear to the federal administration that New York's public safety will remain our top priority."

Gays Against Guns Organizer Cathy Marino-Thomas said, "BrettKavanaugh's views on guns and semi-automatic weapons not only feed into President Trump's extreme agenda, they pose an enormous risk for the safety of the entire country. We have seen gun violence and mass shootings in schools, at concerts, night clubs, and workplaces, and as long as these weapons continue to be accessible, lives will hang in the balance. Governor Cuomo has fought tirelessly for common sense gun reform and I stand with him in this continued fight. Rest assured, we will not allow federal action to dictate the safety of New Yorkers."

Street Corner Resources Founder and CEO Iesha Sekou said, "We will not tolerate the loss of life as a result of cowardly and irresponsible gun violence. Brett Kavanaugh's nomination by President Trump is a serious threat to the work we do every day protecting innocent children and families from these crimes, and under the Governor's leadership, we will provide new resources to work to end the scourge of urban gun violence and protect our communities from the extreme and harmful views of this federal administration."

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