Congressman Cohen Reluctantly Votes for Senate Compromise Gun Bill
Says House bill was better but “this was all we could get”
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, today voted on compromise gun legislation after it passed the Senate with Republican support.
The vote on passage was 234 to 193.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
"Today I voted reluctantly on a gun safety bill that should have been better. Senate Republicans' intransigence and refusal to do anything to limit access to a gun for anyone older than 18 has made comprehensive reform impossible. The House bill I supported was much better and would keep AR-15 assault weapons out of the hands of 18-year-olds, ban straw sales, close the bump stock loophole, ban ghost guns and improve the background check system.
"I hated to vote for today's measure because it wasn't what the American people have made clear they want and deserve. But this was all we could get.
"Schools should be safe, but gun violence isn't just about schools. The bill will do little to protect people in churches, synagogues, movie theatres, at musical concerts, night clubs and on the streets of Las Vegas. This is a very small step forward in attempting to address America's crisis of gun violence."
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