WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) released the following statement after voting in favor of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act:

“As a staunch defender of the Second Amendment, I have consistently opposed partisan gun control bills that chip away at the freedoms of law-abiding citizens. I’ve done so while remaining committed to bipartisan solutions that will genuinely help prevent gun violence and preserve the Constitutional rights of the American people. That’s why I voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

“This commonsense, public safety bill proves that we can stop murderers without infringing on the rights of law-abiding Americans. When it is signed into law, we will have not only empowered states to make the decisions necessary to meet the unique safety needs of their communities, but also preserved the protected and fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution for all law-abiding citizens.

“America’s lawmakers have stepped up. Now it’s time for the decision makers in Hollywood and the gaming industry to do the same. We cannot as a society glorify grotesque violence and then act stunned when deranged, unstable individuals go out into their communities and commit in real life what they see and do day-in and day-out on every screen at their disposable. Our laws needed to change, but so too must our sadistic entertainment culture which has brought this sadistic madness into the limelight.

“Those in Northeast Ohio know the suffocating impact that senseless gun violence can have on a community. The evil that fueled the mass murder of 19 children in Uvalde is the same sick wickedness I saw in the eyes of T.J. Lane. My constituents have called for changes to help prevent these tragedies from becoming an everyday reality. They’ve also rightfully insisted that their Constitutional freedoms be preserved. The bipartisan bill before me today accomplished both and I look forward to seeing it signed into law.”

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