{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mcbath.house.gov/press-releases?ID=2648A2AE-5003-484C-93FC-DEB31EB05C6A", "McBath, Thompson, Clark, Aguilar, Neguse, Kelly Mark Gun Violence Awareness Month", "2024-06-05", "2024", "2024-06", "Democrat", "House", "GA", "Lucy McBath", "M001208", "mcbath.house.gov", "mcbath", "https://mcbath.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2014 On Tuesday, Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-07), Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chair Mike Thompson (CA-04), Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (CA-33), House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse (CO-02), and Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) held a press conference marking the start of Gun Violence Awareness Month and the upcoming two-year anniversary of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.\n\n\u201cI came to Congress after my son was murdered by a man with a gun. For years, I had been a mother crying out to our elected officials to take action to end the horror of gun violence that ripped apart families like mine and put dread in the hearts of parents,\u201d said Rep. McBath. \u201cThrough bipartisan steps in Congress and the work of the Biden-Harris Administration, the tides are changing. I feel my son\u2019s legacy every single day in this work, and I was proud to join my colleagues on the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force today to kick off Gun Violence Awareness Month as we continue this fight to save lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s the 156th day of the year and our country has already experienced 197 mass shootings. That\u2019s unacceptable,\u201d said Rep. Mike Thompson, Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. \u201cTwo years ago this month, Democrats helped pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, cementing the most significant gun violence prevention law in thirty years. But our work isn\u2019t done. While Democrats push for progress, Republicans stand in the way of safer communities. This June, during Gun Violence Prevention Month, we are recommitting ourselves to keep up the fight against gun violence.\u201d\n\n\u201cTwo years ago this month, Democrats enacted the Safer Communities Act \u2014 the most significant effort to save kids from gun violence since before my own children were even born. It was a once-in-a-generation kind of achievement. But it shouldn\u2019t be,\u201d said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. \u201cAs Democrats have always made clear, this law is just the first step. But under this Republican Majority, we have seen nothing but cruel inaction. Not one vote to save a single life. That\u2019s the difference between the two sides of the aisle. Republicans are here to pull stunts. Democrats are here to solve problems.\u201d\n\n\u201cTwo years ago, Democrats and Republicans came together in the most significant piece of legislation that we have been able to accomplish in the last 30 years,\u201d said Chair Pete Aguilar. \u201cWe urge House Republicans to join us to protect our kids and their futures, and to come to the table to find a meaningful path forward to end gun violence once and for all.\u201d\n\n\u201cColoradans and Americans across our country are demanding that the United States Congress do something about the scourge of gun violence,\u201d said Assistant Leader Joe Neguse. \u201cAnd House Democrats have risen to the occasion \u2014 heeded that call. You heard from Chairman Thompson, from Chairman Aguilar, from Whip Clark about the work we did just a few short years ago to get the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act across the finish line \u2014 not the last step, but an important first step.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe American people intimately know the impact of gun violence too well,\u201d said Rep. Robin Kelly. \u201cEvery year, 43,000 people die from gun violence. Behind each of those deaths are family members, loved ones, coworkers, and friends who miss them every day. The toll of gun violence should move Congress to action, yet many of my colleagues across the aisle don\u2019t even recognize gun violence as a problem. We must choose to change course and save lives. Inaction is not an option.\u201d\n\nThe tragic death of Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed at age fifteen just days after performing at President Obama\u2019s second inauguration, inspired the creation of Gun Violence Awareness Day on the first Friday in June. Gun Violence Awareness Month is recognized as an extension of the day.\n\nThe Gun Violence Prevention Task Force was founded in the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 when 20 students and 6 educators were slaughtered in a senseless act of violence. This group, consisting of 180 Members of Congress, is devoted to finding commonsense solutions to our nation's ongoing gun violence epidemic. Rep. McBath serves as Vice Chair of the Task Force.\n\nTask Force members helped pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), the most consequential gun violence prevention legislation signed into law in decades. President Biden signed the BSCA into law in June of 2022.\n\nThe BSCA:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:11:47Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mcbath.house.gov/press-releases?ID=2648A2AE-5003-484C-93FC-DEB31EB05C6A"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.714338082820177, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}