WASHINGTON—(ENEWSPF)—March 23, 2018
By: Rosemary Piser
As tens of thousands of students and supporters of gun violence prevention prepare to march in Washington D.C., Chicago, and cities and towns across America and the World, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today slammed President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress for still being unwilling to push for any gun reforms that the NRA opposes.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Senator Durbin said, “On March 24, students and Americans of all ages will march in the streets to honor those who have been lost to senseless gun violence and to call on their elected representatives to step up. I support the marchers, and I will continue to work for meaningful action to help reduce gun violence. I’m going to keep doing everything I can to put the safety of our kids and our neighborhoods ahead of the gun lobby’s agenda. I hope my colleagues from across the aisle will join me. It’s time to take a stand and show leadership. America’s waiting.”
In his speech, Durbin noted that some modest gun violence prevention measures were included in the omnibus spending bill. Among other things, the spending bill includes:
- The Fix NICS bill and language that sought to clarify that the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can research the causes of gun violence,
- The defense portion of the omnibus spending bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to submit all of its relevant records to the NICS background check system, and flag and pre-validate which records would prohibit a person from buying a gun. This languages is intended to help the FBI conduct background checks more quickly and accurately.
However, Durbin notes that the omnibus bill does not address the fundamental challenges the United States faces when it comes to gun violence, such as creating a universal background check system, keeping assault weapons and high-capacity magazines off our streets and out of our schools, and cracking down on the illicit straw purchases and gun thefts that help supply guns to criminals.
Source: www.durbin.senate.gov
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