For the First Time in Nearly 30 Years, Bipartisan Gun Safety Bill Passes U.S. Senate

We marched, our voices were heard and our power was felt. March For Our Lives applauds the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that will save lives, and that will serve as proof that agreement on gun safety legislation is possible  

Washington, D.C. – Just two weeks after tens of thousands of people across the nation took to the streets in anger after the tragedies in Uvalde and Buffalo, and after March For Our Lives organizers met with over 70 Senators and Representatives in Washington, the Senate finally broke decades-long gridlock today to deliver lifesaving gun safety legislation. While the bill is imperfect and doesn’t go nearly far enough to end the gun violence epidemic, it will save lives and set a new precedent for future action. It contains lifesaving provisions that will prevent gun violence from occurring in the first place, like enhanced background checks for 18-21-year-olds, partially addressing the dating partner loophole and $250 million for community violence intervention. We’ve advocated for these measures for years and we’re glad to see the Senate finally take action on them.

This proves that when we organize and take to the streets, we can win. Young people will not be silent on gun violence, the number one killer of children in America today. We will continue to fight for commonsense regulations that keep us safe. When Republicans listen to the vast majority of Americans and buck corrupt special interest groups like the NRA, they move closer in step with popular opinion and the will of the American people. Despite the Supreme Court’s deadly rollback of a hundred years of settled second amendment law today, the Senate has finally given us a glimmer of hope that change is possible. We desperately need more action to address the toll of gun violence and young people will lead the fight for our lives.

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