Massachusetts lawmakers call on U.S. House Speaker John Boehner to act on 'commonsense gun laws' in wake of Oregon shooting

SPRINGFIELD ‒ Several Massachusetts lawmakers have urged congressional Republicans to pass what they call "commonsense gun laws" in the wake of a mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon.

Members of the state's U.S. House delegation joined other congressional Democrats in signing a letter that called on House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to bring forth legislation "that can protect innocent lives while safeguarding the rights of law abiding gun owners."

"It is long past time that Congress address this national epidemic," the letter stated. "We must ensure that guns do not make it into the hands of criminals, domestic abusers and the dangerously mentally ill. We can do this without infringing on Constitutionally guaranteed rights."

Members, in the letter, acknowledged that while passing legislation will not stop every tragedy, it could help prevent some, adding that "it is the least we can do to honor the memory of those we've lost to gun violence."

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, who signed onto the letter, blasted his colleagues across the aisle for failing to act on gun laws.

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results," he said in a statement. "Congressional Republicans have done nothing over and over again and, predictably, the results have been the same: more innocent lives lost, more families forever changed, and more mass gun violence."

McGovern, who serves on the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, added that shortly before the UCC shooting, several members called on Boehner to address gun violence.

"The five brave co-authors of our background check bill notwithstanding, Republicans have done nothing," he said. "Republicans have a majority in Congress, and a White House and Democratic Caucus willing to work with them. All they need to do is get off their hands and act."

U.S. Reps. Katherine Clark, D-Melrose; Niki Tsongas, D-Lowell; Seth Moulton, D-Salem; Stephen Lynch, D-South Boston; Bill Keating, D-Bourne; Joe Kennedy III, D-Brookline, and Mike Capuano, D-Somerville, also signed the letter. U.S. Rep. Richard Neal's, D-Springfield, office confirmed that the congressman will also sign the document.

In addition to lending their names to the letter, several delegation members also took to social media to express similar sentiments following the UCC shooting.

"Prayers for families in Oregon," Tsongas tweeted. "Struck by a disturbing fact: 274 days in 2015, 294 mass shootings. Action is overdue."

Kennedy commented that "inaction says as much about our character as action."

"Once again, gun violence has left American families waking up to loved ones lost. And the most their government can muster in response is silence, timidity and fear," he tweeted. "These families deserve better."

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., meanwhile, urged "it's time to end NRA's stranglehold on Congress & pass commonsense #guncontrol measures," in a tweet.

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