CT Congressional Delegation Stands with Team 26, Calls for Action to Prevent Gun Violence

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Connecticut Congressional Delegation and gun violence prevention leaders joined with Team 26 today to call for action to prevent gun violence in the United States.

Team 26, named for the 20 children and six educators killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012, rode 400 miles from Newtown, CT to the U.S. Capitol to ask Congress to pass commonsense legislation to help keep communities safe from gun violence.

“Too many lives continue to be lost due to gun violence,” Congressman John B. Larson (CT-1) said.“We in Connecticut still feel the pain of the 20 children and 6 educators who lost their lives at Sandy Hook. That tragedy should have spurred Congress to put partisanship aside and make meaningful reforms—instead, the House has yet to even hold a vote. As long as Congress is silent, it remains complicit in the ongoing violence throughout this country. I thank Monte Frank and the other members of Team 26 for continuing to call for action. We will never forget what happened in Newtown, and we will keep fighting to protect Americans from further violence.”

“The men and women of Team 26 put their lives on hold and biked hundreds of miles through the rain in the hope that Congress will finally do something to stem the tide of gun violence in this country,” said Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5), whose district includes Newtown. “Since the tragedy in Sandy Hook, about 100,000 Americans have lost their lives to gun violence, including more than 500 children. And in that time, the House has not held a single vote on gun safety legislation. Today, Team 26 is sending a loud and clear message: we cannot wait any longer for Congress to do its job. I proudly stand with these brave men and women to call on my colleagues to finally take action and help prevent more innocent lives from being lost.”

“Bike riders who have braved snow and cold, rough roads and tough traffic, show us that courage and strength can conquer political headwinds all the way to the White House—and love wins,” Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said. “This ride reminds us that Congress is increasingly complicit in the preeminent public health crisis of our time—no less an epidemic than any infectious disease, killing 30,000 Americans every year. Congress must act now. I was proud to welcome the riders to Washington and the White House as their journey came to an end—even as the journey to achieve commonsense measures to reduce gun violence is far from over. It will be a marathon, not a sprint. But together, we will continue pushing forward.”

“For four years now, Team 26 has biked 400 miles from Newtown to Washington to honor the lives of the 26 precious students and teachers who were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary, and the more than 90,000 men, women, and children who have lost their lives to senseless gun violence since,” Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said. “Team 26 delivered a strong message to Congress today, and I will not rest until Team 26 – and the 90% of Americans whose voice they represent – has been heard.”

“It is an honor to stand with Team 26 today to call attention to the unacceptable toll of gun violence in across our country,” Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) said. “It is almost unthinkable that more than three years after the tragedy in Newton, that Congress has yet to pass a single gun safety measure to protect our children, and our communities. I want to commend Team 26 for all of their efforts to advocate for common sense gun reforms during their annual ride to Washington. I also want to thank Rep. Elizabeth Esty for her continued advocacy and leadership on gun violence prevention. “

“Thank you to Team 26 for devoting your time and energy to call for stronger gun violence prevention laws and for pushing Congress to act. To see you complete the 300 mile ride honoring those we lost for the fourth year in a row is truly touching,” Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) said. “Today and every day, we must continue to honor with action and fight for stronger gun violence prevention laws. Executive action by the President alone is inadequate, and I call on my colleagues in Congress to immediately take action and pass commonsense legislation to address the gun violence epidemic.”

“Thank you to Team 26 and the families and community that supports them,” Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) said. “Their ride is a reminder that we have not forgotten, and we will never forget the tragic effects that gun violence has had on our children and neighborhoods. We will show the same perseverance they have shown in their 400 mile ride to fight until this epidemic of violence is ended. We have the power to make sure the horror of Sandy Hook is never repeated if we commit to the fight for the long haul.”

“With open arms, the District of Columbia greets Team 26,” Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton(D-DC) said. “After journeying from Newtown, CT to the nation’s capital for the fourth time since we lost 26 children and teachers, Team 26’s sacrifice in honor of the memories of those killed by gun violence also makes us understand that the only way to rid our country of gun violence is to show the same perseverance as Team 26. The people of the District of Columbia particularly appreciate the Sandy Hook riders as we fight repeated attempts by Members of Congress to overturn all of D.C.’s gun safety laws.”

“Many thanks to those who rode 400 miles from Newtown to the Capitol – for the fourth year in a row – to raise awareness about the urgent need for Congress to act to reduce gun violence,” said Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05), Chairman of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. “Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook, the House Majority has refused to take even one vote on commonsense legislation to help keep Americans safe from gun violence. But the members of Team 26 aren’t giving up, and neither am I. My colleagues and I are ready to fight for as long as it takes to pass legislation to help keep guns out of dangerous hands.”

“Team 26’s ride reminds us that there are common-sense steps we can take today to make our communities safer,” said Congresswoman Nita Lowey (NY-17), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee and longtime supporter of gun violence prevention. “With 4% of gun sales conducted without a background check, guns are too easily falling into the wrong hands. We should listen to the 91% of Americans who support universal background checks for gun purchasers. We should listen to the 71% of NRA members who support prohibiting people on terror watch lists from purchasing guns. Thank you to Team 26 for riding yet again to honor not just the families in Sandy Hook and their loved ones, but for all victims of gun violence across the country.”

“I salute Team26 for helping to keep the issue of gun violence at the forefront. I believe that Congress must pass bipartisan, comprehensive, and evidence-based legislation to deal with the horrific epidemic of gun violence in our country. Tragedies like Newtown, Aurora, and Charleston have underscored the need to address the issue at every level of government,” said Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), a member of the Congressional Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.

###