Washington (December 6, 2015) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement after tonight’s address by President Obama from the Oval Office.
“We continue to grieve for the victims of Wednesday’s attack in San Bernardino, California. Although much remains unknown, it now appears certain that the murderous ideology of ISIS moved the perpetrators to commit this heinous act of terrorism.
“As the nature of terrorist threats to our nation evolves, we must keep people safe against this kind of mass violence. I applaud President Obama’s commitment to intensify efforts to protect our country and to end the ISIS threat.
“Over the past generation, the same global communications and transportation networks that have drawn people closer together in mutual understanding and prosperity have also allowed groups like ISIS to spread terror. The United States must help lead an international effort to revolutionize global security to keep all people safe and free. Our global and regional security networks must be as expansive as the spaces we share, strong enough to stop transnational threats, and thoroughly dedicated to the rights of the people they are sworn to protect.
“We must continue to work in concert with an international coalition, especially the Arab nations, to help them establish credible governments in the parts of the Middle East that are being ravaged by civil war. The Middle East requires a regional network of Arab security forces and civil servants ready to deploy and end ISIS’s rule. The global community must stand ready to support such efforts, including protecting the refugees that are escaping the daily violence and oppression of war.
“As we work with the international community abroad, we must commit to efforts at home to keep American families safe. We must reform the Visa Waiver Program and close the loophole that allows individuals on the federal Terrorist Watchlist to purchase firearms and explosives.And we need to pass commonsense gun safety legislation that strengthens background checks and closes the loopholes that allow guns into the hands of those who should not have them.
“We are not a nation of hatred, we are a nation of hope. It is time for us to again lead the world toward concrete change that will provide people with the safety, dignity, and freedom they deserve.”
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