Today marks four years since the massacre at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders are asking for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to mark this somber occasion by passing a gun bill that has been sitting on his desk for more than a year.
Here’s part of what Speaker Pelosi said:
“As we mark LGBTQ Pride Month and Gun Violence Prevention Month, we honor the 49 beautiful souls murdered and 53 injured in a stunning act of hatred and bloodshed at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. Four years later, the pain remains all too real for the Orlando community, the survivors and the loved ones of those who were killed, but our resolve to end the scourge of gun violence remains unwavering.
Painfully, since that tragic night, the horror we saw in Orlando has been seen in countless other communities across the country. In too many places, the epidemics of gun violence and hatred have stolen too many innocent people and left too many families suffering unimaginable loss. It is our responsibility to protect our communities and keep our children safe. That is why, over 470 days ago, House Democrats passed H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, and H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act to ensure universal background checks and close the Charleston loophole that enabled the hate crime at Mother Emanuel Church… Leader McConnell must listen to the will of the American people, end his partisan obstruction and finally bring H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112 up for a vote. As we take time to remember those we’ve lost, we must never back away from our mission to safeguard our communities and end the horrors of gun violence once and for all.”
Joe Biden released this statement as well:
“Four years ago, as members of the LGBTQ+ community were gathered together for Latin Night at Pulse nightclub during Pride Month, a terrorist armed with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire. He killed 49 innocent people and injured many more — at the time, the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman. And still today, it remains the deadliest attack on the LGBTQ+ community in American history.
The inaction of Republican lawmakers to address the scourge of gun violence in America is unacceptable… As President, I will continue standing with you to build a more equal, more inclusive United States, where every member of the LGBTQ+ community is safe and respected.”