Statement from U.S. Sen. Ed Markey On Gun Violence

I recently wrote to my two U.S. Senators and my Representative in Congress about the problem of gun violence in America, in the wake of the shootings in El Paso, Dayton, Chicago, and elsewhere.

I just received a response from Sen. Markey, and wish to share the letter he sent to me with all of you.

Dear James:

Thank you for contacting me regarding your support for gun safety measures. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.

In a span of thirteen hours, two mass shootings occurred in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio — ultimately ¬killing 31 people and injuring nearly 50. Sadly, these losses are only the most recent in a year of repeated gun violence. The United States has experienced 18 mass shootings so far in 2019 — defined as an incident in which four or more people are shot. That’s an average of one mass shooting every 12 days this year. These tragedies will continue until Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell allows the Senate to vote on common-sense gun safety proposals. In February, the House of Representatives passed comprehensive gun safety legislation, but Leader McConnell has refused to allow the Senate to consider it or any other bills that would address this epidemic of violence that costs us 36,000 lives each year.

I have re-introduced several bills this Congress to help understand and reduce gun violence. My first bill, the Making America Safe and Secure (MASS) Act, would incentivize states to adopt gun licensing requirements similar to those in Massachusetts. Massachusetts has one of the lowest gun death rates in the country, in part because we have enacted some of the strongest and most effective gun licensing laws in the nation. The MASS Act would authorize the Department of Justice to provide grants to states that implement and maintain comprehensive licensing standards for gun owners and dealers.

Additionally, I reintroduced the Gun Violence Prevention Research Act (S.184), which would fund gun violence prevention research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For more than 20 years, an amendment to federal appropriations legislation has limited our understanding of gun violence by stymying research into it. Last year, Congress passed a spending bill with language clarifying and confirming the CDC’s authority to conduct this scientific research. While I am pleased by this development, it is imperative that we now make funds available to researchers. My bill would provide the CDC with $50 million annually through the fiscal year 2025 to conduct or support research on gun violence prevention.

There are a number of other commonsense provisions we can and should enact immediately. These include banning assault-style weapons, raising the minimum age of purchase for certain types of firearms, and closing the loopholes that allow domestic abusers and those on the terrorist watch list to purchase guns. I also believe we must also eliminate gun manufacturers’ immunity from civil liability, and institute universal background checks — including at gun shows and for online purchases. Additionally, I oppose loosening restrictions for silencer attachments to firearms, expanding concealed carry laws, and arming school teachers.

Protecting the safety and security of Massachusetts schools, streets, and communities is of the utmost importance to me. It is deeply concerning to me that the Congress is lagging behind much of the country in recognizing the need for gun safety reforms. I will continue to fight for commonsense gun legislation that keeps dangerous weapons out of the hands of people who should not have them.

Thank you again for contacting me about this issue. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. To sign up for my newsletter, visit http://www.markey.senate.gov/newsletter. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Sincerely,

Edward J. Markey
United States Senator