“President Obama’s strong announcement of a comprehensive set of gun violence proposals comes at a critical juncture in the debate over violence that has raged in our country over the past few years. The President is setting the tone on what kind of nation we want to be in the future. Rather than focusing only on small reachable goals, he has presented a comprehensive uniform vision. From mental health, to gun control, to school safety, to law enforcement, he is attacking the problem from all sides." 

"By proposing a mix of executive  and legislative actions, he is also showing seriousness on the issue. I agree with the President’s push to not only renew the assault weapons ban, but to strengthen it. Similarly, his call to fix the gaping holes in our background check system, provide the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives the tools it needs to do its job, and finally modernize our gun trafficking laws, are equally important." 

"I was especially heartened to hear his passionate proposal on mental health parity. As a Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science, the former Chair of the Committee on Public Safety in the California Assembly, I’ve been on the front line working tirelessly on these issues for decades.  States operating alone and incremental federal approaches are not the answer.  Solutions to these problems must be comprehensive, with a broad vision for the future, a vision that our President has provided and is leading on. The coming weeks will be instrumental in turning back the tide of violence in our country and I look forward to the President’s leadership.”