In the wake of this week's tragedy in Texas, it is heartening to see our bipartisan allies working together on real action. There are few issues on which sincere Americans, arguing in good faith, are more divided – and emotionally so – than guns. But there are areas of agreement – both in public polling and on Capitol Hill. After Sandy Hook, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) crafted legislation to close the gun show loophole. That idea is now part of talks involving a small group of senators from both parties, including our allies Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Susan Collins (R-ME). Another idea the group is considering on a bipartisan basis: a federal “red flag” law similar to existing laws in 19 states ranging from liberal California to conservative Indiana intended to keep weapons out of the hands of those with documented mental illness. The realists on both sides of the gun debate know they will not get everything they want – but that they can get something. In the words of House Problem Solvers Caucus Co-chair Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), “We need to do more to keep our children and families safe. We need to do more to protect our communities from gun violence. We need to finally come together to stop families and communities from being torn apart.” Our focus and the focus of our allies is, as always, on problem solving. We can surely find a way to both respect our constitutional heritage and protect the most vulnerable from being killed in their schoolrooms. At a time when the nation faces so many challenges, right now there is no greater problem to solve than how we can keep our precious children safe. Wishing you a Memorial Day weekend full of remembrance, honor, peace of mind, and hope. Margaret White
Co-Executive Director | 
