Ron: Oregonians want meaningful action now on gun violence

Hours after the latest horrific U.S. gun massacres in Texas and Ohio, Ron heard from Oregonians at his Washington County town hall on Sunday how much they want Congress to immediately address the epidemic of gun violence.

“Oregonians are tired of meaningless words,” Ron said in Beaverton at his 946th town hall in Oregon. “What they want is meaningful action.”

He urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to call the Senate back from the August congressional work period to take up House-passed legislation for universal background checks.   

“It all has to start on the floor of the United States Senate,” he said. “If he calls the Senate into session, I’ll be on the first plane back from PDX to Washington, DC.”

In addition to co-sponsoring the Background Check Expansion Act of 2019 that would close dangerous loopholes, Ron also is working toward other solutions that include reasonable restrictions to keep guns out of the hands of the most dangerous individuals.

He also supports allowing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct gun violence research, authorizing resources to step up school safety and enhancing safe storage regulations. 

“How many more communities must be devastated by gun violence before Mitch McConnell lets the Senate even consider common-sense gun safety legislation?” he said. “Responding with rote offerings of condolences until the next mass shooting is no way to work toward solutions.”