U.S. Conference Of Mayors President Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter Endorses Feinstein Assault Weapons Ban Bill
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Conference of Mayors President Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter today stood with CA Senator Dianne Feinstein in support of her introduction of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 at a press conference on Capitol Hill. Senators Durbin (IL), Schumer (NY), Blumenthal (CT) and Murphy (CT), as well as Reps. Carolyn McCarthy (NY), Ed Perlmutter (CO) and Elizabeth Esty (CT), in addition to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey (and President of the Major Cities Chiefs Police Association) also attended today's event and endorsed the bill.
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Senator Feinstein addressed the nation's mayors last week at the 81st Winter Meeting of The U.S. Conference of Mayors, which has supported a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines for several years, and has called for reinstatement and strengthening of the ban since it expired in 2004.
Mayor Nutter's remarks as prepared from today's press event are as follows:
"Thank you Senator Feinstein. Again and again and again, Americans have been stunned by senseless acts of violence involving assault weapons and large-capacity magazines: Columbine (April 1999, 13 murdered), Virginia Tech (April 2007, 32 murdered), Tucson (January 2011, 6 murdered, 12 wounded including one Congresswoman), Aurora (July 2012, 12 murdered), Oak Creek (August 2012, 6 murdered).
"The December 14 tragedy which killed 20 young children and six educators in Newtown remains incomprehensible to us all. Too many times during the last year, mayors have expressed shock at a mass shooting. Even more frequently, many of us must cope with the gun violence that occurs on the streets of our cities.
"'Weapons of mass destruction' are destroying our communities, our streets and our families. The first police officer we lost after I became mayor was killed by an AK-47. Citizens have been killed on Philadelphia's streets by handguns with high capacity magazines as well as assault rifles. This needs to end NOW!
"Every day in America, 282 people are shot and 86 of them die, including 32 who are murdered. Every day 50 children and teens are shot and eight of them die, including five who are murdered. This must STOP!
"The legislation which Senator Feinstein and others are introducing this morning will help to make that happen. I am here to register the strong support of The U.S. Conference of Mayors for the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 and to commit our organization to doing everything possible to see it enacted into law.
"I have with me this morning a letter originally sent just three days after the Newtown tragedy occurred and now signed by 210 mayors which calls on the President and Congress to take immediate action and make reasonable changes in our gun laws and regulations. Listed first among our recommended changes is enactment of the legislation to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines being prepared by Senator Dianne Feinstein and others. When she discussed this bill and her commitment to passing it at the Conference's Winter Meeting last week, Senator Feinstein described herself as 'a former mayor on a mission.' Senator Feinstein, I am here today to report you have an army of current mayors on a mission standing with you, ready to do what it takes to see this legislation become law."
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,295 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.
SOURCE The U.S. Conference of Mayors
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