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Brady Campaign Endorses Lautenberg for Re-Election

          The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, along with its New Jersey Million Mom March chapters, today strongly endorsed Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey for re-election.

          "Senator Frank Lautenberg is a hero to all Americans working to prevent gun violence. He has been a courageous champion for sensible gun laws and has worked tirelessly to make our communities safer," said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign.

          "I have always been proud to stand strong with the Brady Campaign to stop gun violence in New Jersey and across our country so I am honored to have the support of the Brady Campaign and its members," Senator Lautenberg said.  "The Bush Administration has been no friend to advocates of gun safety and victims of gun violence, but these men and women know that they will always have a friend and ally in Frank Lautenberg in the United States Senate. 

          "I have consistently stood up to the powerful gun lobby to enact sensible gun safety laws.  My landmark law preventing convicted domestic abusers from buying a gun has stopped 150,000 illegal gun purchases.  I was an original cosponsor of the Brady Law, which requires background checks for gun purchases, and I sponsored legislation to close the loophole that allows criminals to purchase guns at gun shows, no questions asked. And I am fighting to pass my legislation to close another loophole that allows terror suspects to purchase guns legally," Lautenberg said.  "Together, the Brady Campaign and I will keep pushing for common sense gun violence prevention measures that remove illegal guns from our streets and keep our children and communities safe."

          Senator Lautenberg's record of fighting to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people include the following accomplishments:

  • Senator Lautenberg cosponsored the Senate version of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Public Law 103-159), which, since going into effect in 1994, has stopped more than 1.6 million felons and other dangerous people from buying guns.

 

  • Senator Lautenberg authored the Domestic Violence Gun Ban (Public Law 104-208) which, since its enactment in 1996, has denied guns to domestic abusers over 150,000 times. 
  • Senator Lautenberg is the author of legislation to require background checks at gun shows so that criminals, terrorists, and other dangerous people cannot exploit these events to buy and sell guns.  Although the Senate passed his legislation in 1999 with Vice President Gore's tie-breaking vote, the gun lobby killed it in the House of Representatives. Senator Lautenberg has reintroduced this legislation in the 110th Congress. 
  • Senator Lautenberg has introduced legislation that would, for the first time, give the Attorney General the power to prevent known and suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms (S. 1237).  The Bush Administration has endorsed Lautenberg's proposal to close the "terror gap."


          The Brady Campaign endorsed Senator Barack Obama for President and Senator Joe Biden for Vice President recently.  The organization is urging candidates for public office to support specific steps to help make American communities safer, such as:
 

  • Requiring Brady criminal background checks on all gun sales, including at gun shows;
  • Strengthening law enforcement's efforts to disrupt the illegal gun market, by providing tools to crack down on corrupt gun dealers and stop the large-volume gun sales that supply gun traffickers; and,
  • Restricting civilian access to military-style assault weapons.


          "There are only a few national gun control laws on the books, and even those have loopholes," Helmke said.  "This leads to senseless gun violence devastating the lives of tens of thousands.  Senator Lautenberg has been and will continue to be a strong partner in the fight for sensible gun laws to protect you, your family and your community."

          The Brady Campaign endorsed Senator Barack Obama for President and Senator Joe Biden for Vice President recently.  To find out more about where state and Federal candidates for elected office stand on the gun issue, go to the Brady Campaign's "Your Vote Matters" Elections web guide at http://www.bradycampaign.org/elections/.

          As the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence, the Brady Campaign, with its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, works to enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations and public policies.  The Brady Campaign is devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.

          Visit the Brady Campaign website at www.bradycampaign.org.  For continuing insight and comment on the gun issue, read Paul Helmke's blog at www.bradycampaign.org/blog/.

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