(Washington, DC) – Tonight, Mayor Muriel Bowser will attend the 2019 State of the Union at the invitation of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Prior the address, Mayor Bowser released the following statement:

“Tonight, as a I join Speaker Pelosi at the State of the Union, I urge Congress to answer the call of Americans nationwide by passing legislation that protects our communities from preventable and senseless gun violence, starting with universal background checks for every firearm purchase.

“Time and time again, our federal government has sat back and watched as Americans have been murdered on our streets, in schools, churches, offices, movie theaters, at bus stops and in shopping malls. In 2019, the unfortunate reality is that nowhere in our nation feels safe from gun violence. Mass shootings are too common. Firearm suicide is a public health crisis. In cities and towns across our nation, people of all ages are settling petty disputes with guns. Sometimes the people killed are the intended target, other times they are bystanders, and almost always, we know it was preventable.

“We need more than thoughts and prayers from elected leaders—we need action.

“In 2018, nearly 40,000 people in our nation died of gun violence. And we know why: It is too easy to get your hands on a gun in the United States of America. In places like Washington, DC where we have some of the strongest gun laws in the nation, we know better than anyone that this is a matter that won’t be solved state by state. Every gun used in our city comes from outside of our city. Firearms can travel across state lines and so can those who use them.

“But we don’t have to carry on like this. We can create and implement common-sense gun control while protecting Second Amendment rights. Convenience is not more important than life. Tomorrow, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on gun violence prevention and Americans have spoken loud and clear: Congress must act.”