DOWNERS GROVE (May 22, 2018) – Responding to the latest school-shooting tragedy, Sixth District Congressional candidate Sean Casten today released a six-point plan for gun safety and blasted his opponent, Rep. Peter Roskam, for consistently siding with the gun lobby instead of local residents demanding action on gun safety.

“For 20 years in public office, Peter Roskam has sided with the gun lobby rather than with the people and families he’s supposed to represent,” Casten said. “Since this Congress stubbornly refuses to act to end the plague of school shootings across the country, we need to elect a Congress this November that will.”

Casten’s plan for sensible gun reform includes:

• Implementing an effective system of universal background checks for gun-buyers;
• Closing the “gun-show loophole,” which currently allows for purchases of weapons without a background check;
• Restoring the federal Assault Weapons Ban, which Congress allowed to expire;
• Instituting a federal ban on high-capacity magazines for civilian purchase;
• Passing the Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Act to ban access to guns for those convicted of domestic violence or under an order of protection;
• Implementing the “no fly, no buy” rule to prohibit gun sales to suspected terrorists on the federal no-fly list.

Casten noted that Roskam opposes many of these common-sense proposals to rein in gun violence. As a candidate for Congress in 2006, Roskam rejected the Assault Weapons Ban even though his Republican predecessor, Henry Hyde, voted for its passage [Chicago Daily Herald, 9/4/06]. As a Member of Congress, Roskam voted eight times against efforts to pass the “no fly, no buy” law to keep guns out of the hands of suspected terrorists.

“Peter Roskam has taken more than $32,000 from the gun lobby [News-Gazette, Feb. 20, 2018] and stood with them in opposing countless efforts to pass sensible gun laws – laws that even many gun-owners support,” Casten said.

“It’s time this district had a representative who stands with parents and students who want action to end the carnage, not more ‘thoughts and prayers’ after each new tragedy,” Casten said.

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