Washington, DC -- Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement after the Senate voted to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Booker was part of a bipartisan group of 20 Senators who signed on to an earlier framework outlining the proposal to address the gun violence epidemic in the United States.
“Quite simply, this legislation will save lives. And if passing it saves even one child from being killed; if it saves even one family from the pain of losing a loved one; if it saves even one community from being shattered by gun violence, then it is worth doing.
“Although this bill is an imperfect bipartisan compromise and doesn’t do everything necessary to end America’s epidemic of gun violence, it is an important and long overdue step in the right direction and represents the most significant reforms to federal gun safety laws in three decades.
“I celebrate the tireless efforts of activists, advocates, and everyday Americans who demanded that Congress make this moment real. They know as well as anyone that today’s vote isn’t the end, but only the beginning of our efforts to get to where we ultimately want to go: an America with common sense gun safety policies, from universal background checks, to a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, to expanded community violence interruption programs, and a gun licensing system.”