WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) issues the following statement on the school shooting in Parkland, Florida:

“My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and to the Parkland community. Our schools should be places where our children are loved, where they learn, and where they are kept safe. When classrooms are turned into crime scenes, when our students and teachers are terrorized by guns, something has gone horribly wrong. This is not the first school shooting our nation has witnessed, it is not the second, it is the 239th school shooting since the Sandy Hook massacre. There is an epidemic of gun violence in America, and every day Congress fails to address this epidemic, more students, more teachers, more parents and brothers and sisters are killed.”

“Americans are tired of Congress’s inaction and silent acceptance of the status quo in the face of gun violence. The time for action, the time to strengthen background checks and ban bump stocks and close the gun show loophole is now. I have always been a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, but Congress can no longer settle for symbolic gestures when gun violence kills more Americans every day.”

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Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) is serving her fourth term representing Alabama’s 7th Congressional district. She sits on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and was recently appointed to the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Sewell is a Chief Deputy Whip and serves on the prestigious Steering and Policy Committee of the Democratic Caucus. She is also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and serves as Vice Chair of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus, and Vice Chair of Outreach for the New Democrat Coalition