Real action to reduce gun violence
Dear Friend,
For the first time in almost three decades, the Senate proved that it is possible for us to set aside the vicious politics that have held us back for too long and pass meaningful legislation to reduce gun violence and save lives. I was proud to be a part of the bipartisan group of senators who came together to chart this path forward in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
Yesterday, in advance of the vote, I spoke on the Senate Floor about how our legislation will boost public safety, fight crime, invest in mental health care, and keep more firearms out of the hands of those who would use them against themselves or against their communities. I also explained the provisions that I led on to crack down on fraudulent straw purchases and firearms trafficking operations have fueled deadly violence in New Mexico as well as internationally.
VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich delivers remarks on the Senate Floor on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, June 23, 2022.
I am grateful to all of the survivors of gun violence, the moms who have demanded action, and the young people who have marched for their lives. Your dedication and your advocacy is what made our action possible last night. We can never heal the grieving families all across our country who have lost their sons and daughters, their brothers and sisters, and their fathers and mothers to gun violence. What we can do—what we did in the Senate last night—is honor their memory with concrete actions that will help us save more lives in the future.
I fully recognize that the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is a compromise. But progress has to start somewhere. I am confident that the legislation we just passed will make a real difference in reducing gun violence—a difference that will be measured in lives saved. Each life that we save by passing these commonsense reforms and public safety investments into law will mean literally everything to that person’s loved ones.
That is what this is all about.
Sincerely,
MARTIN HEINRICH
United States Senator
