ENDORSED
BY GIFFORDS
Representative John Garamendi knows that Congress must do more to protect everyday Californians from harm, and that our legislators in Washington DC need to find the courage to act on the life or death issue of ending gun violence. Throughout his career, Representative Garamendi has never shied away from tough fights, and he has proven that he’s more than willing to stand up to the gun lobby if it means that lives will be saved from senseless violence.
In 1989, Representative Garamendi represented the city of Stockton in the California Senate during the Cleveland Elementary School shooting that killed six people and injured 32 others. This horrific mass shooting led him to introduce California’s assault weapons ban—the first of its kind to be signed into law in the US. Representative Garamendi’s framework would go on to serve as a template for the federal assault weapons ban, which was in effect from 1994 until 2004 and has proven to have reduced levels of gun violence and saved countless lives. In Congress, Representative Garamendi has consistently supported legislation that would close background check loopholes, crack down on gun trafficking, hold negligent manufacturers accountable, and help states implement extreme risk laws. He also helped to pass the first comprehensive gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years—the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act—which addressed the kinds of glaring loopholes in our laws that put survivors of abuse at risk and bolstered community violence intervention programs.
We must do everything in our power to ensure that strong leaders in the movement to end gun violence are sent back to Washington DC in 2023—leaders like Representative John Garamendi. We know his skills as a legislator will be crucial in advancing lifesaving reforms in the years to come, and we are confident his leadership will help usher in a future free from gun violence.
In 1989, Representative Garamendi represented the city of Stockton in the California Senate during the Cleveland Elementary School shooting that killed six people and injured 32 others. This horrific mass shooting led him to introduce California’s assault weapons ban—the first of its kind to be signed into law in the US. Representative Garamendi’s framework would go on to serve as a template for the federal assault weapons ban, which was in effect from 1994 until 2004 and has proven to have reduced levels of gun violence and saved countless lives. In Congress, Representative Garamendi has consistently supported legislation that would close background check loopholes, crack down on gun trafficking, hold negligent manufacturers accountable, and help states implement extreme risk laws. He also helped to pass the first comprehensive gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years—the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act—which addressed the kinds of glaring loopholes in our laws that put survivors of abuse at risk and bolstered community violence intervention programs.
We must do everything in our power to ensure that strong leaders in the movement to end gun violence are sent back to Washington DC in 2023—leaders like Representative John Garamendi. We know his skills as a legislator will be crucial in advancing lifesaving reforms in the years to come, and we are confident his leadership will help usher in a future free from gun violence.
We are proud to endorse John Garamendi for the US House of Representatives.