Everytown For Gun Safety Action Fund, Moms Demand Action Applaud Gov. Jay Inslee, Mayor Pete Buttigieg For Elevating Issue of Gun Violence Prevention in 2020 Presidential Campaign

Gov. Inslee and Mayor Buttigieg Released Plans Days After Mass Shootings in El Paso and Dayton 
Both Plans Address the Deadly Intersection of Gun Violence and Hate Crimes

NEW YORK – Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund (“Everytown”) and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown, released the following statement in response to plans from Gov. Jay Inslee and Mayor Pete Buttigieg to address gun violence in the wake of mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. Gov. Inslee’s plan includes a national assault weapons ban and addresses gun violence related to white nationalism with expanded federal funding for de-radicalization and intervention strategies and increased federal law enforcement resources for joint federal and state investigations of white nationalists. Mayor Buttigieg’s plan includes requiring background checks on all gun sales, passing a Red Flag law, allocating funding for gun violence research and dedicating $1 billion to fighting radicalization and violent extremism.  

“We are grateful to Gov. Inslee and Mayor Buttigieg for showing leadership in the wake of the tragic shootings in El Paso and Dayton and the gun violence that plagues our country every day,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund. “The American people have made their message to 2020 presidential candidates plain: If you want to sit in the Oval Office, you must make gun safety a priority.” 

“From shootings of trans women of color to the violence in El Paso this past weekend, there’s no question that easy access to guns combined with hate is deadly,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Over the past few days, 2020 presidential candidates have seen a groundswell of activism from Americans who refuse to accept any more inaction. We applaud Gov. Inslee and Mayor Buttigieg for responding with plans that address the role of gun violence in hate crimes.” 

The 2020 presidential cycle has been notable for the number of candidates proudly embracing gun safety as an issue to run and win on. To name just a few: 

• Senator Cory Booker unveiled a gun violence prevention plan addressing both gun suicide and gun homicide. 
• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced her plan to combat gun trafficking at the federal level, close loopholes and prohibit assault weapons, pass common sense gun safety measures that expand background checks and increase federal resources for stopping gun violence in local communities.
• Senator Kamala Harris announced her intention to take executive action if Congress fails to pass a background check bill in the first 100 days, as well as her plan to prohibit the importation of all AR-15-style assault weapons by executive action. 
• Senator Amy Klobuchar released a plan to address gun violence in her first 100 days, including introducing gun violence prevention legislation and directing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to research gun violence as a public health issue. 
• Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper released a plan including background checks on every gun sale, limits on high-capacity magazines and CDC research on gun violence prevention.
• Former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke unveiled a plan including background checks on every gun sale, prohibiting the sale of assault weapons, nationwide red flag laws and investing in funding research on gun violence. 

Moms Demand Action volunteers are attending candidate forums to elevate the issue of gun safety around the country — and will continue to do so until the 2020 election.