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Letter to John Boehner, Speaker of the House - 163 Members of Congress Demand a Vote, Not Silence, to Prevent Gun Violence

Letter

By: Carol Shea-Porter, Dina Titus, Rick Larsen, Carolyn McCarthy, Ron Barber, Joyce Beatty, Diana DeGette, Nydia Velázquez, Mark Pocan, Jared Huffman, Peter DeFazio, Albio Sires, Bennie Thompson, Doris Matsui, Joe Crowley, Grace Napolitano, Mike Quigley, Raul Grijalva, Lloyd Doggett II, Steve Cohen, Gloria Negrete McLeod, Alcee Hastings, Sr., Ted Deutch, Juan Vargas, G. K. Butterfield, Jr., Alan Lowenthal, André Carson, Elizabeth Esty, Linda Sánchez, Frank Pallone, Jr., Marcy Kaptur, Jim Moran, Jr., Jason Smith, John Tierney, Lois Frankel, Jan Schakowsky, John Conyers, Jr., Steny Hoyer, Suzanne Bonamici, Bruce Braley, Eliot Engel, Jerry Nadler, Tony Cárdenas, John Sarbanes, Niki Tsongas, Stephen Lynch, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Grace Meng, Katherine Clark, Luis Gutiérrez, Rick Nolan, Joe Garcia, Thomas Davis III, Judy Chu, Ben Lujan, Jr., Marcia Fudge, Nancy Pelosi, Susan Davis, Joe Courtney, Hank Johnson, Jr., Gwen Moore, Don Payne, Jr., Peter Welch, Bill Foster, Tom Price, Janice Hahn, Chellie Pingree, Mike Michaud, Loretta Sanchez, Mike Kelly, Jr., Carolyn Maloney, Jim Cooper, Rubén Hinojosa, Sr., Jim Himes, David Cicilline, Emanuel Cleaver II, Brian Higgins, Dan Kildee, Sandy Levin, Eric Swalwell, Gerry Connolly, Richard Neal, Adam Schiff, Sam Farr, Anna Eshoo, Bobby Rush, Terri Sewell, John Garamendi, Bill Pascrell, Jr., Lacy Clay, Jr., Raul Ruiz, Jim Langevin, John Carney, Jr., Paul Tonko, Hakeem Jeffries, Eddie Johnson, Bob Brady, Karen Bass, Scott Peters, Mike Capuano, Gregory Meeks, Yvette Clarke, Joaquin Castro, José Serrano, Mike Thompson, Jackie Speier, Dutch Ruppersberger, Brad Schneider, Beto O'Rourke, John Larson, Steve Israel, Ed Pastor, Annie Kuster, Kathy Castor, Julia Brownley, Jim McDermott, Corrine Brown, Frederica Wilson, Brad Sherman, George Miller, Chaka Fattah, Sr., Joe Kennedy III, Eleanor Norton, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Rob Bishop, Henry Waxman, Bobby Scott, Rosa DeLauro, Jim McGovern, Nita Lowey, Louise Slaughter, Rush Holt, Jr., Alan Grayson, Charlie Rangel, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Ami Bera, Donna Edwards, Allyson Schwartz, Sean Maloney, Cedric Richmond, Jim Clyburn, Colleen Hanabusa, Gary Peters, Mark Takano, Keith Ellison, Ed Perlmutter, Betty McCollum, Marc Veasey, Jerry McNerney, Matt Cartwright, Lois Capps, Sheila Jackson Lee, Mike Doyle, Jr., John Lewis, Tammy Duckworth, Earl Blumenauer, Mike Honda, Xavier Becerra, John Yarmuth
Date: June 26, 2014
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Guns

June 26, 2014

Speaker John Boehner
Office of the Speaker
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Speaker:

We agree with you that we must honor the victims of the recent shootings in Portland, Las Vegas and Santa Barbara. But moments of silence on the floor of the House are not enough. The last thing these victims and their families need is further silence from this Congress. They deserve a vote.

Our nation has suffered at least 74 school shootings since the Sandy Hook massacre. The factors allowing these rampages are no mystery: loopholes in the background check laws, straw purchases, restrictions on law enforcement, and gaps in our mental health system. Dozens of legislative proposals that address these factors have been introduced and await consideration. But despite wake-up call after wake-up call, a shameful tradition of Congressional inaction continues.

Gun violence has affected constituents in every Congressional district, and as their representatives, Members of Congress deserve the opportunity to vote on bills that would address this epidemic.

Congressional silence is not a sign of respect, but rather an institutional indictment. We must right this wrong. You must allow a vote on substantive legislation to address gun violence.

Sincerely,


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