FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

BROOKLYN, NY– Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09)  issued the following statement regarding the uptick in gun violence throughout Brooklyn, NYC and across America:

“I’m incredibly saddened over the last few weeks to see the increase in gun violence throughout the place I call home, as well as across our country. Too many of our young people have been deprived of the chance to grow old and to lead the lives they deserve. Too many children in our community go to sleep each night without a father or a mother because bullets stripped away their lives. These tragic shootings must come to an end.”

“However, what these incidents have shown us is that our current approach to preventing shootings is not working. Gun violence does not occur in a vacuum, and our solution must be multifaceted. I am grateful for the work of community-based organizations, and those on the frontlines, that work to stop gun violence in areas particularly vulnerable to it. This effort will not be easy, but we must ensure that our communities are safe for all to live, work and play.”

“Together we will not rest until the fear of being plagued by bullets is no longer. We must continue to pressure the Senate to put lives above gun lobbies by passing critical legislation like HR8, that would require universal background checks, and has already passed the House of Representatives, but has been sitting in Mitch McConnell’s legislative graveyard. The public health crisis caused by gun violence is one that cannot be solved by Democrats alone–and I am calling for compassion by my Republican colleagues. I am calling on my Republican colleagues to look into their hearts to do what’s right–to at last value human life by acting to help save lives through legislative action. Passing HR8 will be just the beginning in tackling this crisis.”

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