Jack,

Our country has seen two mass shootings in less than a week. My heart breaks for the families and loved ones of those killed last night in Boulder.  

We cannot accept a world in which Americans going about their lives—grocery shopping, visiting a house of worship, seeing a movie, attending bible study, going to school—are not safe from the ravages of gun violence.

Each time we witness a tragedy like this—and let’s be clear, this has become all-too familiar—there is a moment of reckoning.

An outpouring of shock, grief, and heartbreak. Thoughts and prayers. The common refrain of “this is not who we are” and “this time, things will be different.” 

Each time, the American people cry out, demanding action. Marching, writing letters, tweeting, calling their members of Congress, begging for something to be done. 

And yet Congress has not passed meaningful gun safety reforms in over 25 years. Let me tell you why: Washington is corrupted. The NRA has a vice grip on Congress, and far too many of my Repubilcan colleagues lack the courage to do right by their constituents. Not when campaign dollars are on the line.

We must root out the greed, the corruption, and the deep rot that has overtaken Washington. That means passing campaign finance reform, overturning Citizens United and electing leaders of principle who will stand up to the gun lobby.

We must also take legislative action—now, when Democrats maintain majorities in the House and Senate—to address gun violence in our communities. 

We need to expand mandatory federal background checks to include all firearms sales. The House passed a bipartisan universal background checks bill earlier this month that would expand requirements to cover online sales, gun shows, and sales between family members and friends. The House also voted to close the "Charleston Loophole," which allowed a gun sale to move forward after three days even if a background check had not yet been completed. These are important first steps.

We need to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines. A common thread in the mass shootings that have plagued our country is the use of sophisticated, military-grade weapons. These are weapons of war to which no civilian needs access.

And we need to cut down on the flow of illegal guns across state lines. The ATF reports that nearly 60,000 guns are trafficked across state lines every year. And nearly 90% of guns recovered in New York City crimes originated in another state. My bill, the Hadiya Pendleton and Nyasia Pryear-Yard Gun Trafficking and Crime Prevention Act, will make gun trafficking a federal crime. 

I’ve seen the impact of gun violence up close. We have to break this cycle and take meaningful action. Please, please, call on your member of Congress to support sensible gun safety reforms. 

In solidarity,
Kirsten