Skip to main content
Government & Politics

Maryland Members of Congress React to Las Vegas Massacre

With national gun policy largely dictated by Capitol Hill, Maryland Matters on Monday compiled statements about Sunday night’s Las Vegas shootings from Maryland’s two U.S. senators and eight members of the House of Representatives. The statements come from the members’ official websites or social media accounts.

It was the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history, leaving 58 people dead as Maryland Matters posted this at 5:20 p.m. Monday.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D): “How high does the death toll have to get before we enact real bipartisan reforms that will make the American public safer and reduce the risks that come from allowing such easy access to dangerous weapons primarily designed for the battlefield? Assault weapons are not needed to hunt deer or ducks; they are only meant to kill people – and they do far too often in this country. I urge my colleagues to be bold and fight to break the cycle of what can only be described as a callous disregard for the victims of gun violence. More talk and more prayers will not save lives. Only action and real changes in our federal and state laws can.”

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D): “I’m begging my colleagues again: put politics aside. Prayers are not enough. The American people need us to ACT to stop gun violence NOW!”

Rep. Andy Harris (R): No posted statements as of 5:20 p.m. Monday.

harris

Rep. Andy Harris

Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D): “My heart goes out to Las Vegas. I am horrified by this senseless tragedy that claimed innocent lives and injured many more.”

Rep. John Sarbanes (D): “I am horrified and shaken by the violence that took place last night in Las Vegas. My thoughts are with the victims of this heinous act, and my heart goes out to their families and loved ones. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the city’s first responders – not only the courageous law enforcement officials and medical personnel who rushed to the scene, but also the ordinary citizens who risked their lives to help save victims and get people to safety.”

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D): “Today, we are all Nevadans.” [Hoyer, the House Democratic whip, also issued tweets praising his three Democratic colleagues from Nevada and echoing their gratitude for the work of local first responders.]

Rep. John Delaney (D): “Heartbreaking morning. My prayers are with the victims of last night’s horrific shooting, their families and the courageous first responders who were at the scene. Our hearts are with Las Vegas today.”

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D): “I am horrified by the senseless mass shooting in Las Vegas. My heart goes out to the victims and their families. May God watch over them.” [Later in the day, Cummings in a tweet echoed House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi’s call for Speaker Paul Ryan to create a special select committee on gun violence.]

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D): “Virginia Tech, Aurora, Sandy Hook, Orlando, Charleston, San Bernardino–now Las Vegas. Enough. Let’s act now to .” [Raskin also posted multiple pictures of a Monday Capitol Hill rally featuring ex-Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, herself a victim of gun violence.]

REPUBLISHING TERMS

Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

To republish, copy the following text and paste it into your HTML editor.

License

Creative Commons License AttributionCreative Commons Attribution
Maryland Members of Congress React to Las Vegas Massacre