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