Texas is still trying to make it through the jarring aftermath of the twin mass shootings from last month. Gun violence remains very much top of mind.
U.S. Rep Veronica Escobar is bringing a delegation of survivors of El Paso’s terrorist attack on Aug. 3 to the debate in Houston on Thursday evening.
“I’m honored to be attending the Democratic debates alongside these incredibly resilient El Pasoans who exemplify the unbreakable spirit of our beautiful city,” she said in a statement. “They represent not only the strength of El Paso, but also millions of Americans ready to fight for better gun safety legislation.”
“We are attending the debate together in order to send a message to the candidates and the country: the massacre in El Paso must be a turning point for America. We must tackle both the gun violence epidemic and the hate epidemic that has been so destructive to communities like mine,” she added. “We must make America safe again.”
New polling out Wednesday shows 89% of Texas voters support background checks for all gun buyers.
Democrats at the state level continue to pressure Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special legislation session — instead of waiting until 2021 when the legislature meets again. And Sen. John Cornyn, amid his relative silence after the El Paso terrorist attack and Odessa’s mass murder, continues to oppose background checks.
Democrats in the U.S. House aren’t fooling around when it comes to curbing gun violence. On Tuesday, a Democratic-led committee approved three measures to be considered by the full chamber, including proposals to keep guns out of dangerous people’s hands (“red flags”) and banning high-capacity magazines.
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