Co-author Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL)
The horrific mass shooting in Orlando was the deadliest in our nation's history. In response, this week Democrats in both the House and the Senate said ENOUGH, and demanded action to stem the rising tide of gun violence in our country.
On Monday, House Democrats refused to participate in the perfunctory moment of silence held after each mass shooting, pledging to remain silent no more. Then on Wednesday, Senate Democrats led by Chris Murphy of Connecticut, took the floor in a 15 hour filibuster to demand action on common sense legislation supported by 90% of the American people. We are proud to have joined in those efforts. Democrats in both chambers will no longer stand for business as usual in the face of these horrific gun crimes. Congress must honor the victims of this bloodshed not with merely thoughts and prayers, but with action.
What happened in Orlando on Sunday was shocking, and our hearts are broken for the victims and their loved ones. And while the scale of these mass shootings captures the nation's attention, the carnage caused by guns on the streets of Chicago every day is no less tragic. More than 280 people have been killed in this great city since the first of the year. Thousands more are living under siege in neighborhoods where they fear sitting on their front porches or letting their kids out to play because of the threat of gun violence.
No one in the United States of America should ever have to live this way.
That's why we are pushing in Washington to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. There are simple steps Congress can and must take to end this gun violence nightmare: We must make universal background checks the law of the land, and close a shocking loophole in current law that allows known or suspected terrorists to buy guns and even explosives. In 2015 we were informed that forty percent of the crime guns confiscated in the most violent neighborhoods in Chicago were coming from gun shows in Indiana where guns can be purchased without background checks. And despite having been on the terrorist watch list in the past, the Orlando shooter was able to purchase an assault weapon and ammunition to stage his attack.
Establishing universal background checks and closing this terrorist gun loophole will help keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons, the mentally unstable and individuals with ties to terrorism. This should be done now as a matter of national security and public safety. This is a starting point. We know that much more must be done to keep guns out of dangerous hands, and that the appalling gun violence in Orlando and here in Chicago is the consequence of inaction.
The pursuit of gun reform is personal for us. And we won't stop -- not until all Americans everywhere can live free from the threat of gun violence.