King Statement on Gun Control Votes

Statement

U.S. Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME) released the following statement today after the Senate voted on a series of amendments pertaining to gun control legislation:

"America's epidemic of gun violence is a problem that's been at the forefront of my mind since that tragic day in December when a gunman senselessly took the lives of twenty children and six school staff members in Newtown, Connecticut. Last week I met with family members of the victims. It was powerful, poignant, and emotional -- but most of all it was a reaffirmation for me that we have to find a solution. Today, I am profoundly disappointed that the Senate failed to do that.

"Over the course of the past few months I've been talking to advocates on both sides of the issue. My highest priority in weighing their respective arguments has always been to find a solution that is effective and enforceable. That's why today I voted in favor of a sensible, compromise background check amendment crafted by Senators Manchin and Toomey. That's also why I voted in favor of Senators Collins' and Leahy's measure to strengthen penalties for gun trafficking and straw purchases, which I cosponsored. That's why I supported a measure that would limit magazine clips to ten rounds. All of these are common-sense provisions that would not only have an immediate impact on reducing gun violence, but that are also supported by a majority of Senators! Instead, today, a minority of Senators prevented their passage and, simply put, it's unconscionable.

"Following today's votes, I strongly urge my colleagues, as I pledge myself, to continue to work to find a compromise so that we can move forward on substantive gun control legislation. We owe it not only to the families of the victims of Newtown and Aurora, but to the families of the additional 30,000 Americans who are killed every year by gunfire. They deserve it."

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