Boston (February 19, 2018) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement today after the White House announced that it is proposing changes to modest background check legislation introduced last year by Senators Cornyn and Murphy in an effort to garner President Donald Trump’s support.

“If support for this one bill is all the White House wants done legislatively to address the tragedy in Parkland, then President Trump has already failed,” said Senator Markey. “The families and students of Parkland aren’t looking for a modest step, they are looking for real action to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. Legislation to report information to a federal database, while helpful, will do little to address the root causes of the hundreds of mass shootings across our country every year. The White House’s support for this legislation is mere lip service when young people in Florida are shouting and pleading for meaningful action.

“If the White House wants to sincerely respond to the calls of the students in Parkland and all of the communities that have suffered mass shootings, it would immediately support legislation to reinstate an assault weapons ban, put in place universal background checks, ban bump stocks, prohibit those on the terrorist watch list from purchasing a weapon, and direct its CDC researchers and scientists to conduct research on gun violence prevention,” concluded Senator Markey. “Anything less than that is turning a willful deaf ear to the cries of young people calling for action from the White House.”

###