TWO STORIES TO CONTRAST: REMEMBERING A HERO, AND THE REPUBLICANS STILL WORSHIPPING AT THE ALTARS OF INDIFFERENCE , HATE , AND THE NRA...

U.S. CONGRESSMAN DAVID CICILLINE. Dear David, 17 innocent people were gunned down earlier this week at a high school in Florida. Their deaths are but the most recent in a long line of Americans whose lives were ended with the pull of a trigger. Over the past 50 years, more Americans have died from guns than in all the wars our country has ever fought. I cannot comprehend what would compel someone to take the life of another person. But I do know that we have to do something about it. There are dozens of bills pending in Congress today that would reduce gun violence in our communities. I've authored and co-sponsored legislation to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, children, and individuals with serious mental illness such that possessing a gun would pose a threat to themselves or others. None of these bills have moved forward, however, because the Republicans who control Congress refuse to consider any legislation opposed by the gun lobby. I’m not going to give up. In the days and weeks to come, I will continue fighting to advance these important bills and propose some more. We are the only advanced country on earth where this level of violence persists. All of us who serve in Congress, Republican and Democrat alike, owe it to the American people to end this carnage and the pain it inflicts on communities across our nation. Sergeant McKenna  In December, I introduced legislation in the House to rename the U.S. Post Office located at 515 Hope Street in Bristol, Rhode Island, as the “First Sergeant P. Andrew McKenna Jr. Post Office.” An Army Green Beret and lifelong Bristol resident, U.S. Army Special Forces 1st Sergeant P. Andrew McKenna Jr., died August 7, 2015, during a Taliban attack on Camp Integrity, a NATO facility in Kabul, Afghanistan. During his 17 years of service, Sergeant McKenna earned the Bronze Star with V device and the Meritorious Service Medal. He completed five tours of duty in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. Throughout his life, Sergeant McKenna represented the very highest examples of service, duty, and sacrifice. That’s why I’m pleased that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved passage of this legislation last week. The bill is now headed to the House floor for a full vote. Senator Reed has introduced a companion measure in the Senate. I am hopeful that we will soon have a permanent tribute to the values that Sergeant McKenna embodied and the ultimate sacrifice he made in defense of our country.