A Pennsylvania senator last week re-introduced a bill that would prevent individuals convicted of misdemeanor hate-crimes from purchasing and possessing firearms. Sen. Bob Casey co-introduced the Disarm Hate Act along with Congressman David N. Cicilline of Rhode Island.
Casey previously introduced the bill last year in response to the massacre at Pulse, an LGBT nightclub in Orlando, Fla., where 49 people died at the hands of a lone gunman. The bill died in committee before it was able to receive a hearing.
In an email interview with PGN, Casey said he re-submitted the bill in light of the Pulse one-year-anniversary earlier this month.
“It felt like there was no more appropriate time to re-introduce this bill,” Casey said. “We have to remember the victims and honor the survivors with our deeds, not just our words. We can’t just send thoughts and prayers, and we can’t expect the problem of gun violence to solve itself.”
Despite the Republican majority, the Democrat said he hopes Congress “will catch up to public opinion on this issue.”
“As a member of the Senate minority, my Democratic colleagues and I don’t have much power to get gun-control legislation passed, but I want to work with anyone from across the aisle who is open to making progress on this issue,” Casey said. “I’m hopeful that we can find areas of agreement because we came so close last year, and because most Americans would support basic anti-gun-violence measures.”
Casey added that the community can take steps to advance the bill as well.
“If the Disarm Hate Act or other gun-safety measures are important to you, make sure that your representatives in Congress know that,” Casey said. “Make sure that they can’t ignore the thousands of Americans killed or injured in shootings every year. Make sure they can’t ignore the survivors and families whose lives have been forever changed because of gun violence.”
Casey officially announced he was re-introducing the bill Monday at the Bethel AME Church. He made the announcement alongside Tiara Parker, a Pulse survivor. Parker was the cousin of Akyra Murray, a Philadelphia native who died in the shooting. The senator said he was “honored” to share the podium with Parker.
“The courage, grace and strength [Parker has] shown are remarkable, and I’m grateful that she’s been so committed to sharing her story and highlighting the real-life costs of our government’s inaction on gun violence,” Casey said. “I wish I could’ve met Tiara under vastly different circumstances. I wish I could’ve met her cousin Akyra, who would be in college this year had she not been killed at Pulse. And I wish we had fewer Americans whose lives were touched by gun violence. But until then, I’m grateful for individuals like Tiara who are making their voices heard.”
The Disarm Hate Act has been endorsed by Americans for Responsible Solutions, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, CeaseFire PA, the Center for American Progress, Everytown for Gun Safety and Sandy Hook Promise. Additionally, 10 U.S. Democratic Senators have signed on as cosponsors: Tammy Baldwin (Wisc.), Richard Blumenthal (Ct.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (N.H.), Ed Markey (Mass.), Chris Murphy (Ct.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.).