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Criminals Win: Bloomberg Blasts Senate Failure To Pass Gun Background Checks
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 17, 2013
Modified Apr 18, 2013
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By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 17, 2013
Modified Apr 18, 2013
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Mayor Bloomberg, who has become a national force in calling for gun control reform, spoke out against the Senate's failure to pass gun background checks (a failure that President Obama called "shameful"). Bloomberg said, "Today’s vote is a damning indictment of the stranglehold that special interests have on Washington. More than 40 U.S. senators would rather turn their backs on the 90 percent of Americans who support comprehensive background checks than buck the increasingly extremist wing of the gun lobby."
The former Democrat/Republican-current Independent had more to say—and went after the two parties:
Democrats - who are so quick to blame Republicans for our broken gun laws - could not stand united. And Republicans - who are so quick to blame Democrats for not being tough enough on crime - handed criminals a huge victory, by preserving their ability to buy guns illegally at gun shows and online and keeping the illegal trafficking market well-fed.
Senators Manchin and Toomey - as well as Majority Leader Reid and Senators Schumer, Kirk, Collins, McCain and others - deserve real credit for coming together around a compromise bill that struck a fair balance, and President Obama and Vice-President Biden deserve credit for their leadership since the Sandy Hook massacre. But even with some bi-partisan support, a common-sense public safety reform died in the U.S. Senate at the hands of those who are more interested in attempting to protect their own political careers - or some false sense of ideological purity - than protecting the lives of innocent Americans.
The only silver lining is that we now know who refuses to stand with the 90 percent of Americans - and in 2014, our ever-expanding coalition of supporters will work to make sure that voters don’t forget.”
Keep in mind that five Democrats and 41 Republicans voted against background checks (48 Democrats, four republicans and two Independents voted for it).
Tagged
gun background checks
gun control reform
gun violence
mayor bloomberg
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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