Heinrich Statement On Defeat Of Amendment To Reduce Gun Violence

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M) released the following statement after the Senate's consideration of amendments to S. 649, the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act, including the bipartisan compromise Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) reached on expanding background checks: 

"I'm disappointed that pragmatic public safety measures that the vast majority of Americans-including gun owners-embrace, failed to move forward. It is a strong indicator that we need filibuster reform when there's this big of a disconnect between what our constituents support and what we are able to produce. Making improvements to our background check system and cracking down on illegal gun trafficking are common-sense ways to prevent violence without punishing law abiding gun owners.  We owe it to the American people to take real action to reduce gun violence in our communities."