Hillary Clinton Focuses on Gun Violence Prevention in New York

On Monday, Hillary Clinton attended a number of campaign events across New York. In Port Washington, Clinton and Congressman Steve Israel hosted a round table discussion on the prevention of gun violence. During the event, Clinton explained the importance of introducing federal regulations of gun sales and mandatory background checks. The state of New York, for example, has strict gun laws, but people wanting to purchase a gun can get around them by going to neighboring states such as Vermont. Clinton said, “Here’s what I want you to know: most of the guns that are used in crimes and violence and killings in New York come from out of state. And the state that has the highest per capita number of those guns that end up committing crimes in New York come from Vermont.” She continued, “So this is not, ‘Oh, you know, I live in a rural state, we don’t have these problems.’ This is, you know what? It’s easy to cross borders. Criminals, domestic abusers, traffickers, people who are dangerously mentally ill — they cross borders, too. And sometimes they do it to get the guns they use. This has to become a voting issue for those of us who want to save lives.”

Clinton also spent some time in Queens where she spoke with patrons at the Jackson Diner. Following her visit, she took a few questions from reporters and criticized rival, Senator Bernie Sanders, for his inability to answer certain questions about his plans and his record. She said, “I have noticed that under the bright spotlight and scrutiny here in New York, Sen. Sanders has had trouble answering questions. He’s had trouble answering questions about his core issue, namely dealing with the banks. He’s had trouble answering foreign-policy questions. So I look forward to a debate that is in New York with people asking the kinds of questions that New Yorkers ask.”

Hillary also attended two fundraisers in the state. The first was in Mount Kisco and was held at the home of Marco Masotti and Tracy Stein. The second event of the day was in Glen Cove and was hosted by Mindy and Jay Jacobs, Laurie and Marty Scheinman. Also attending the event was Congressman Israel.

For all the latest, follow our revamped Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: The Wall Street Journal, Politico, CBS News

Clinton Unveils Gun Control Plan During NH Town Hall

Hillary Rodham Clinton laid out her plans to combat gun violence today during a town hall event on the campus of Manchester Community College in Manchester, New Hampshire. Clinton’s plan, which was also released in a post on The Briefing, contains many parts to help cut down the 33,000 deaths every year that occur because of guns and to combat the fact that 20% – 40% of gun purchases in the United States are completed without a background check. Clinton calls for comprehensive background check reform, closing the “Charleston Loophole,” which allows a gun purchase to continue if a background check is not complete after three days, and to introduce tighter restrictions on internet and gun show sales.

Clinton vowed to fight the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other lobbying efforts to curb gun control. She would repeal the “Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act,” a law that protects gun manufacturers and dealers from being held responsible for the violence their guns commit. She is also calling for stricter regulations and more frequent inspects of gun dealers.

Clinton argued that checking a person’s background is key to ensuring whether they should own a gun. She vowed to support legislation which would prevent domestic abusers from buying and possessing guns, make “straw purchasing” (buying a gun for someone who is a convicted felon) a federal crime, improve existing regulations to ensure guns stay out of the hands of those who are mentally ill, and renew the ban on military-style assault weapons. Clinton points out that a lot of what she proposes is not new, but existing legislation is either extremely weak or was allowed to expire. She spoke strongly during the event, but she broke down for moment when she introduced, Nicole Hockley, the mother of a child killed in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. She is now the executive director of the group Sandy Hook Promise.

She vowed to make gun control a top priority because too many people have died as a result of weak laws. She said, “It’s time for us to say, ‘Wait a minute, we’re better than this, our country is better than this, and there are steps we can take that improve gun safety and further prevention of violence. We haven’t done what we need to do to try and make our children safe. That’s what’s behind the proposals I’m making. They’re not new — there’s nothing unique about them other than that I’m so determined to do everything I possibly can.”

A full video from the town hall event is available on C-SPAN.

Tomorrow, Clinton begins a two day campaign trip to Iowa where she is schedule to take place in four events. For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: The New York Times, International Business Times, The Briefing