It is interesting to note that they found it important to tell me they were gun owners (maybe we should ask for pictures
) and the both mentioned Virginia Tech.Warner is up for reelection in 2014. Time to start identifying a candidate!
From Senator Warner
Thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts on legislative efforts to reduce gun violence in the United States.
On December 14, 2012, 20 innocent children and six adults lost their lives in one of the worst, most tragic shootings to ever occur in the United States. As a parent of three daughters, this was the ultimate nightmare. Like the Virginia Tech and Columbine shootings, this tragedy unfolded in what was once regarded as a safe haven free of crime and violence: a school.
I own firearms and am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. However, I also recognize that, like with many of our constitutional rights, our Second Amendment rights are not without limits. It is unfortunate that a tragedy of this magnitude is what is needed to prompt action, but we need to take meaningful steps that will help us best avoid these kinds of mass shootings in the future. The status quo is not acceptable.
During the Senate's recent consideration of the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013 (S. 649), I was very disappointed that we could not reach the necessary 60 votes for passage of a reasonable, bipartisan amendment to strengthen background checks. This compromise legislation put forward by Senators Manchin and Toomey would have closed the gun show loophole and prohibited the commercial sale of guns to those who are seriously mentally ill or have a criminal record while also upholding Second Amendment rights. Furthermore, its failure, which occurred one day after the sixth anniversary of the Virginia Tech tragedy, jeopardizes passage of the underlying gun safety bill, which includes our bipartisan CAMPUS Safety Act.
There was also significant debate over proposals to ban certain types of weapons and magazines. I voted against these bans because, after talking to numerous experts, I believe the most effective thing we can do to reduce gun-related violence and keep guns out of the hands of those prohibited by law from possessing them is to pass a strong background check law.
Moving forward, I believe that the Senate should continue to work to pass effective measures that will help to keep our children and communities safe. These include broadening background checks for gun purchases, making improvements to our mental health system so we can provide help to those with dangerous mental illnesses before it is too late, as well as measures to prevent gun trafficking, ensure all appropriate records are submitted into the background check database, and improve school and campus safety.
Again, thank you for contacting me. For further information or to sign up for my newsletter please visit my website at http://warner.senate.gov.
Sincerely,
MARK R. WARNER
United States Senator
From Senator Kaine
Thank you for contacting me to share your views on proposals to reduce gun violence. I appreciate hearing from you.
No one can deny that gun violence is a serious problem in this country today. We owe it to the victims of the growing number of mass shootings to vigorously debate specific and comprehensive proposals that can keep our communities safer. The right approach focuses on many issues - improvements to the mental health system, better security protocols and common sense rules about gun use, including keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals.
When I was on the Richmond City Council in the 1990s, our city was mired in an epidemic of gun violence that included the city having the second-highest homicide rate in the United States. The most successful step we took was implementing Project Exile, a program that involved federal prosecution and tougher penalties for gun crimes that were previously treated more leniently in state courts. Celebrated by diverse groups engaged in the gun violence debate - including the National Rifle Association and the Brady Campaign - the program helped drive down Richmond's homicide rate by nearly 60 percent within a few years.
In 2007, the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech revealed glaring weaknesses in campus security protocols at colleges and universities, in our mental health system and the gun background check system for gun purchases. In a bipartisan spirit, I worked with then-Attorney General Bob McDonnell to immediately improve our background check system and issued an executive order ensuring that those adjudicated to be mentally ill and dangerous would be entered into a national database and barred from purchasing weapons. We also changed standards for mental health treatment and increased funding for community health programs while dramatically improving campus security and efforts to assist college students suffering from mental stress.
As your U.S. Senator, I will pursue a comprehensive approach to strengthen the safety of our communities, while protecting our Second Amendment rights. As a gun owner who worked with others to constitutionally guarantee Virginians the right to hunt, I know that you can be a strong supporter of the Second Amendment without tolerating the gun tragedies that are too often a part of our daily lives.
Thank you once again for contacting me.
Sincerely,
Tim Kaine
