Even O'Reilly Agree's Universal Background Checks Are Necessary

Who knew? Even Bill O'Reilly can have moments of sanity

You know it's bad when even THIS guy isn't on your side...Video by Occupy Democrats, LIKE our page for more!
Posted by Occupy Democrats on Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Pallone Statement on President’s Executive Order on Common-Sense Gun Safety

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2016



WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) made the following statement on President Obama’s Executive Order to require small-scale gun sellers to get federal licenses, among other provisions:

“President Obama’s bold action today is a welcome, overdue, and necessary move to make our nation safer. For too long, Republicans in Congress have blocked any and all meaningful action on gun safety – and lives have been lost. I applaud the President for acting in the interest of the vast majority of the country. While we shouldn’t need additional motivation to put an end to gun violence, the President’s executive order is a meaningful and encouraging step forward and it fuels my commitment to continue the fight for common-sense, lifesaving gun control legislation.”

DGA: Christie To Jersey: Drop Dead

It's about time the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) started showing some support for Barbara Buono by hammering Chris Christie on his record instead of letting him get by on his rhetoric -MM  



WASHINGTON, DC—Less than 24 hours after Chris Christie endorsed Tea Party radical Steve Lonegan for the U.S. Senate and only days after he vetoed a gun safety package that he in part proposed, the Democratic Governors Association today released a new graphic calling Chris Christie out for leaving the people of New Jersey behind in favor of his personal presidential ambition. Christie’s decision to ignore New Jersey is reminiscent of yet another iconic newspaper front page.

President Obama's Weekly Address 4/13/13: Sandy Hook Victim's Mother Calls for Commonsense Gun Responsibility Reforms

This week’s address is delivered by Francine Wheeler, whose six year old son, Ben, was murdered alongside nineteen other children and six educators in Newtown, Connecticut, four months ago. Now, Francine – joined by her husband David – is asking the American people to help prevent this type of tragedy from happening to more families like hers. Since that terrible day in December, thousands more Americans have died, and thousands more families have suffered the pain of losing a loved one to violence. Now that the Senate has agreed that commonsense gun safety reforms deserve a vote, they must finish the job and pass those reforms to protect our children and our communities. Now is the time for all Americans to help make this a moment of real change.

More Than 80 Every Day

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:

Twenty elementary school children and six adults were murdered last week at a school in Newtown, Connecticut.

Just a few months earlier, six Sikhs were murdered at their place of worship in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

Just a few weeks before that, 12 moviegoers were murdered in Aurora, Colorado.

These unspeakable tragedies are just the tip of the iceberg. Each day, more than 80 people die by gunfire in homicides, suicides, and accidents.

We can’t just keep saying, “Our hearts ache for the victims and their families.” We have to bring gun violence under control.

In the aftermath of these horrific events, there are, as always, those who warn us against “politicizing” this tragedy by discussing gun safety. These claims are ideologically motivated, and they are profoundly wrong.

When, after a hurricane strikes, we advocate for funding to mitigate future floods, that is not “politicizing” a tragedy. When, after a terrorist attack, we advocate for better measures to prevent future deaths, that is not “politicizing” a tragedy. The notion that gun violence is somehow different, that it deserves unique immunity from serious conversation in our political dialogue, is nonsensical.

Policymakers have an obligation to respond to problems by finding solutions. The solution to gun violence is, in part, to address gun safety – as well as to address mental health care, school security, and more. Toward this end, I will soon introduce legislation to require handgun registration and to strengthen school safety, and I remain committed to improving mental health care throughout this country.

Bold, Persistent Experimentation

The artificial crisis known as the fiscal cliff remains, at this moment, unresolved. The President and Republican leadership continue to debate within the foolish framework set during last year’s debt ceiling showdown.

I remain ready to work in Washington to see that this artificial crisis is fixed. But simply fixing the fiscal cliff is not enough. Congress aims too low if it seeks only to resolve a crisis of its own making.

We must do far more. We must address unemployment, inequality, and America’s lack of a shared vision for renewing our nation’s greatness. As Franklin D. Roosevelt said in the depths of the Great Depression:

“The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something…

“We need enthusiasm, imagination, and the ability to face facts, even unpleasant ones, bravely. We need to correct, by drastic means if necessary, the faults in our economic system from which we now suffer.”

Beginning the 113th Congress

On January 3, 2013, I will formally take the oath of office as a member of the 113th Congress, and you are invited to join.

The event will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the Montpelier Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building of the Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. SE, Washington, D.C. Lunch will be served after the program, and guided sightseeing tours of Capitol Hill attractions will follow.

For more information or to RSVP, please call (202) 225-5801.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

Gun Control Legislation: Frank Lautenberg Readies Bill In Wake Of Aurora Shooting

by Sam Stein - Huffington Post

WASHINGTON -- In the immediate aftermath of the shooting in Aurora, the debate over gun control policy has more or less centered on whether it's an appropriate time to even have a debate.

Senator Frank Lautenberg

But several lawmakers have demanded that the government not shy about tackling the legislative issue. Mayor Michael Bloomberg set the tone when he urged the two presidential candidates to outline their policies with respect to federal gun laws. And now, Sen. Frank Lautenberg's (D-N.J.) office is saying that he plans to reintroduce legislation that would curtail the ability of a shooter to fire at length without reloading.

"If reports are correct and a high-capacity gun magazine was used to commit these awful murders, Senator Lautenberg will absolutely renew his effort to limit the availability of this dangerous firearm attachment," Lautenberg's communications director Caley Gray told The Huffington Post.

Lautenberg, one of the most vocal gun control advocates in the Senate, introduced a bill to limit high-capacity magazines following the shooting of former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The shooter in that instance fired his gun more than 30 times without having to reload. The bill went nowhere.

Early reports have suggested that the accused shooter in Aurora, James Holmes, also used a high-capacity magazine on his assault rifle. And that alone could breathe new political life into the New Jersey Democrat's legislative hopes.

Lautenberg on the Need for Gun Safety Reforms

Sunday, July 22, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) released the following statement today on the need for gun safety reforms:

“Far too many American families have felt the horror of gun violence. Our hearts are still heavy with sadness after the tragedy in Colorado, but we need to start today on efforts to prevent the next attack. We should begin by passing my legislation to ban the sale of high-capacity gun magazines,” Lautenberg said.  “No sportsman needs 100 rounds to shoot a duck, but allowing high-capacity magazines in the hands of killers like James Holmes and Jared Loughner puts law enforcement at a disadvantage and innocent lives at risk. The NRA should join with us and the rest of America on sensible gun safety reform to stop the violence."

Senator Lautenberg is a leader in Congress for responsible gun safety measures.  Last year, Lautenberg introduced common-sense legislation to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines.  Lautenberg also is the author of two bills aimed at closing significant loopholes in U.S. law—the “gun show loophole” and the “Terror Gap”—that make it easier for criminals and terrorists to obtain guns and explosives to carry out their crimes.  Additional information about Lautenberg’s common-sense gun safety reforms can be found here

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Senator Lautenberg authored the Domestic Violence Gun Ban, which bans the shipment, transport, sale or ownership of guns by individuals convicted of domestic violence. Since it was enacted in 1996, the law has succeeded in keeping guns out of the hands of spousal and child abusers on approximately 200,000 occasions.