Reducing Gun Violence

The searing pain of losing a loved one to gun violence never fades.

I am named after my great-uncle Sam, who was murdered by a gunman before my birth.  With my inherited responsibility for carrying forth his legacy, standing up to gun violence isn’t just about good policy…it’s personal. That’s why my very first speech from the floor of the United States Congress was about standing up to the NRA and calling for sensible gun safety legislation. That speech and my votes in Congress led to the NRA giving me an “F” grade.

Senseless gun violence is happening every single day across America, tragically affecting our communities, our schools, even our children in their own homes. I believe we must work together to enact safe, sensible gun policy that will help reduce gun violence in this country, while preserving our constitutional right to bear arms.

In Congress, I hosted roundtable discussions with local elected officials, police chiefs, community activists, and gun rights supporters to learn more about what steps can be taken to reduce gun violence in our communities.  After the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I was joined by Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy to talk about concrete ideas communities and our nation can take to address this growing problem.

During my time in Washington, I have fought for sensible legislation that would expand background checks to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and close the gun show loophole.  I also believe in restricting large capacity ammunition and reinstating the Federal Assault Weapons Ban.