Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action Applaud Beto O’Rourke for Elevating Issue of Gun Violence Prevention in 2020 Presidential Campaign

NEW YORK – Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown, released the following statement in response to Beto O’Rourke’s weekend opinion piece on his gun safety plan in the Houston Chronicle. O’Rourke’s gun safety plan was tied to the one-year mark of the Santa Fe shooting and includes background checks on every gun sale, prohibiting the sale of assault weapons, nationwide red flag laws and investing in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research on gun violence.

“The American people want leaders who will take decisive action to prevent gun violence — and candidates like Beto O’Rourke are standing with voters and making gun safety a central part of their campaigns,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “As the race for 2020 takes shape, gun safety has already emerged as a defining issue.”

“I’m grateful a presidential candidate chose to honor the one-year mark of the Santa Fe school shooting by committing to action,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Candidates are coming out of the gate strong on gun safety because Americans are demanding solutions. We know we don’t have to live like this, and children should never die like this. We’ll vote for lawmakers committed to keeping our families safe.”

Although it is still early, 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. 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. Congressman Eric Swalwell has made gun safety a central issue in his campaign. Senator Elizabeth Warren has decried the influence of the NRA. Former Vice President Joe Biden has repeatedly advocated for background checks on all gun sales. 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.