Mayor Vic Deluca was one of several area officials who took part in a symbolic sit-in Friday in the Newark office of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. to protest gun violence.
See Deluca in the photo above. (He's the orange-shirted one on the far right).
Deluca has been at the forefront of anti-gun efforts and a key member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
See the Payne press release below:
Newark, N.J. – Today, Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10) held
a symbolic sit-in in his Newark office with constituents to discuss gun
violence and call on House Republicans to hold a vote on bipartisan
legislation to address the epidemic.
The symbolic sit-in built on the momentum from last week’s historic
sit-in by House Democrats, including Congressman Payne, Jr., to demand
Republican leaders hold a vote on common-sense gun safety legislation.
“Today our community came together to demand action on gun violence
prevention, to demand a vote on widely supported, bipartisan
legislation,” said Congressman Payne, Jr. “What we
want—what communities across America want—is an end to the killing, an
end to the inaction, an end to the excuses. We are resolved to win this
fight.”
The symbolic sit-in came after House Democrats held a 26-hour sit-in
on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, led by civil rights
icon Congressman John Lewis, to demand that Speaker Paul Ryan allow a
vote on two pieces of bipartisan gun violence prevention legislation.
One is bipartisan legislation to expand and strengthen the background
check system. The other is a bipartisan “No Fly, No Buy” bill to keep
guns out of the hands of suspected terrorists. House Republicans have
voted 14 times to block consideration of the bipartisan “No Fly, No Buy”
legislation.
“Our laws should keep guns out of the wrong hands, not make it easier for dangerous individuals to get weapons,” added Congressman Payne, Jr.
“Our constituents deserve a vote on background checks, they deserve a
vote on banning individuals on the terrorist watch list from purchasing
guns, and we’re not going to stop fighting until we get a meaningful
vote.”
This week, House Democrats, community advocates, and families across
the country are holding events to demand that Republicans in Congress
act on bipartisan gun violence prevention legislation.
New Jersey leaders who participated in the symbolic sit-in included:
Irvington Mayor Tony Vauss; Maplewood Mayor Victor DeLuca; Hillside
Mayor Angela Garretson; New Jersey Assemblyman Jamel Holley; Essex
Freeholder President Britnee Timberlake; Essex Freeholder Clerk Deborah
Davis-Ford; East Orange City Council Chairman Ted Green; East Orange
Councilman Casim Gomez; Newark Councilman at Large Luis Quintana; Newark
Councilman at Large Eddie Osborne; Linden Councilwoman Rhashonna
Cosby-Hurling; and Roselle Park Councilwoman at Large Charlene Storey.
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