Paul Tonko Quotes

The vast majority of Americans are asking for common-sense legislation to protect our families, our friends, and our communities from gun violence.

Gun violence is a problem that this country should be addressing.

We need sensible gun safety measures. The federal government could do something about this; they could show up.

I don't buy that there's nothing we can do to stop criminals and the mentally ill from killing if they want to.

I am open and willing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on a variety of appropriate measures we can take to prevent firearms from getting into the wrong hands and mitigate future tragedies.

Ending gun violence isn't political. This is personal.

America has a right to the Second Amendment, but the people of America have a right to safety and the prevention of gun violence in their community.

Gun violence is a plague in all of our communities, and we must come together to stop it.

It's the sad truth that gun violence can often be prevented.

I constantly hear from residents throughout my community about the need for common sense action in Congress to reduce gun violence.

There are numerous groups across the country, both local and national, that are working to prevent gun violence in our communities.

The problem of gun violence goes beyond the countless demographic differences between people.

We need a comprehensive strategy that includes expanding criminal background checks for all commercial gun sales, dedicated federal law to combat gun trafficking, and a strong commitment to mental health services.

More guns are not the answer to keeping our kids and our communities safer.

It doesn't matter if gun violence is down. We need to get guns and bullets and automatic weapons off the streets.

Making improvements to our background check system and cracking down on illegal gun trafficking are common-sense ways to prevent violence without punishing law abiding gun owners. We owe it to the American people to take real action to reduce gun violence in our communities.

For those of us who cry out for gun control, our fears cannot be eliminated as long as the country remains an armed camp in which the most troubled among us can find ways to appropriate one of the easily available weapons in all our communities.

We must urge a national dialogue on better methods of curbing preventable gun violence, and address the need for mental health awareness and access to psychiatric services in this country.

Getting guns off the streets does make communities safer. We can't stand here and say because we don't have the perfect solution, we shouldn't try.

We've got to get the gun out of the hands of people who are supposed to be on neighborhood watch.

America should affirm and establish that in no instance should the guns go in advance of the perfect right.

Let’s not sacrifice the lives of our children to the 2nd Amendment

We must work to stop gun violence. I’ve consoled far too many parents whose children were taken too soon. We need to come together across party, racial, and religious lines. It’s time to take responsibility for making sure our babies grow up.

There's a strong body of evidence that shows that the more diligent we are in ensuring that guns are in the appropriate hands, the safer our communities will be.

As big a problem as gun violence is for Chicago, it is not beyond our ability to solve. Ending this string of tragedies is our top priority as a city. We are infusing our police department with the manpower, technology and training to meet this challenge head on.