Watson Coleman Requests Votes in Lieu of Moment of Silence for Trenton Mass Shooting

In a letter sent today to House Speaker Paul Ryan, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) requested recognition for victims of Sunday’s shooting at the Art All Night festival in Trenton in the form of votes on gun violence prevention legislation instead of observing a moment of silence on the House floor.

“After the tragedies that have claimed lives in cities across the country, most recently Las Vegas, Parkland, Santa Fe, and Sutherland Springs, we tend to stand quietly in the midst of our normally busy votes to honor lives lost, memorializing their names in our records. But the American people want more-specifically, commonsense steps aimed at preventing incidents like these in the first place,” Watson Coleman wrote.

The shooting, which took place early Sunday morning, left 22 injured and one dead. The letter lists more than 70 proposals that have been introduced but not yet scheduled for debate, including two proposals from Watson Coleman, The STOP Online Ammunition Sales Act of 2017 and the Handgun Licensing and Registration Act.

Watson Coleman recently called for action from the floor of the House, shouting “your moment of silence doesn’t save one single solitary life. Do something!” following a moment of silence observed for victims of the shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas.

The full text of the letter is below:

June 19, 2018 The Honorable Paul D. Ryan Speaker U.S. House of Representatives H-232 The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Dear Speaker Ryan: Early Sunday morning, my congressional district became the most recent scene of a mass shooting when 22 people were injured and one was killed at a 24-hour art festival in Trenton. Like dozens of Members before me, I write this letter to draw attention to this incident and ask for recognition of these victims. Unlike other Members, I would like to request a vote in the House in lieu of any moment of silence.   The scourge of gun violence continues to terrorize all of our constituents, whether they are at work or school, shopping for groceries, playing in parks, or attending community events like Art All Night, the festival at which Sunday’s shooting in Trenton took place. After the tragedies that have claimed lives in cities across the country, most recently Las Vegas, Parkland, Santa Fe, and Sutherland Springs, we tend to stand quietly in the midst of our normally busy votes to honor lives lost, memorializing their names in our records. But the American people want more-specifically, commonsense steps aimed at preventing incidents like these in the first place.   I have participated in protests; I have spoken on the House floor; and I have signed letters and petitions calling for votes on gun violence prevention proposals. As my constituents deal with the aftermath of Sunday’s shooting, I urge you to act before any more lives are lost. There are a host of proposals that, with your leadership, could help us find a bipartisan solution to one of our nation’s greatest threats. I have introduced two bills, The STOP Online Ammunition Sales Act of 2017 (H.R. 3962) and the Handgun Licensing and Registration Act (H.R. 5607), each of which would help prevent more tragedies. There are also dozens of other bills that seek to address the various angles of this multifaceted problem, including:  

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