Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) issued the following statement after voting to oppose an attempt to halt a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) regulation regarding the use of pistol braces. The Senate rejected the disapproval resolution 49-50.

“This is the gun lobby’s agenda, not the agenda of the American people. After weeks and months of terrible gun violence, not only has Congress taken no action to strengthen gun safety, but some lawmakers are actively trying to move us in the opposite and wrong direction.

“The shooter who murdered precious children in a Nashville school just in March was only the most recent in a line of mass shooters who was armed with a pistol brace in carrying out their despicable crimes. Doing away with new, critical federal pistol brace regulations meant to prevent these kinds of tragedies would make the world more dangerous for all of us.

“We need to pull the conversation about the gun violence epidemic out of the culture wars and start treating gun violence like the public health crisis it is. Given the immense challenges we’re facing as a nation when it comes to addressing gun violence, it’s deeply frustrating that this is the issue some of my colleagues have chosen to prioritize. This is yet another signal of the people being squeezed out of their democracy. Politicians in Washington need to be less loyal to the deep pockets of their gun lobbyist friends, and more loyal to the will of the American people who want Congress to enact widely popular, common-sense gun safety reforms.” 

###