Warnock decries Supreme Court ‘bump stock’ decision

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. the Rev. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., released a scathing statement after the Supreme Court struck down a Trump-era federal regulation banning the “bump stock” rifle attachment.

“The Supreme Court’s decision to reverse the federal ban on bump stocks is a shameful setback in the fight to save lives and a blow to the hearts and minds of children and families who have been struck by gun violence,” Warnock’s statement reads. “Bump stocks are not a toy for hobbyists or a tool for hunters or self-defense. They are dangerous devices designed to replicate weapons of war and inflict mass casualties, and they have no place in recreational activities or on the streets of our communities.

“This ruling highlights the urgent need for action from our elected officials. To be clear: It is a false choice to have to choose between ensuring public safety and honoring Americans’ constitutional rights. In 2022, after yet another madman slaughtered 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school, Congress finally had the courage to pass bipartisan gun violence legislation — the first action of its kind in nearly three decades. But it is clear we have not done nearly enough to protect our communities. It is past time to start a bipartisan conversation in Washington that takes a comprehensive approach to gun safety and prioritizes public safety over the interests of the gun lobby.”

Warnock has been focused on gun violence prevention since coming to the Senate. Following a mass shooting that killed one and injured four at Northside Hospital Medical Midtown in Atlanta in May 2023, he delivered an impassioned speech on the Senate floor calling on Congress to take immediate action to curb gun violence.

Also in May 2023, Warnock convened gun violence advocates and survivors at the U.S. Capitol to uplift their stories and push Congress to start a serious conversation about addressing the gun violence crisis. In September 2023, Warnock honored the 171 lives taken by gun violence in schools since the 1999 Columbine shooting at a memorial event organized by families of the 2022 Uvalde, Texas, tragedy.

The remarks followed Senator Warnock’s effort to curb gun violence when he joined Elizabeth Warren D-Mass., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and 74 lawmakers to urge the Biden Administration to take aggressive action to combat gun violence and limit the sale of assault weapons.

Additionally, the Senator, an honorary co-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 52nd annual Legislative Conference, hosted a community conversation in collaboration with Community Justice Action Fund examining the impact of gun violence in the black community and unpacking how Americans can come together to end this violence in their communities and communities across the country.

The Senator also championed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, passed and signed into law in 2022, but he said he believes Congress has more work to do.

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