AMERICANS AFFECTED BY GUN VIOLENCE SEND MESSAGE AHEAD OF STATE OF THE UNION

Members ofCongress and advocates give survivors and family members a voice at President'sspeech

More than 120survivors and family members in Washington this week as part of Mayors AgainstIllegal Guns' Demand A Plan campaign

WASHINGTON,DC – Membersof Congress advocating for new gun safety laws, with support from MayorsAgainst Illegal Guns, are providing people affected by gun violence theopportunity to tell their stories and send a message about guns to Washingtonas guests at tonight's State of the Union address.

RepresentativesJim Langevin (RI-2), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4), Keith Ellison (MN-5), RosaDeLauro (CT-3) and David Cicilline (RI-1) spearheaded an effort in which morethan 20 members gave their one ticket to the President's speech to someoneaffected by a gun tragedy. A group of the Representatives, including thoselisted above, and their guests joined Mark Glaze, Director of Mayors AgainstIllegal Guns, and Dan Gross, the President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent GunViolence, whose brother was shot at the Empire State Building, to speak outjust hours before President Obama delivers the State of the Union.

Theevent took place in the Gabriel Zimmerman Meeting Room in the Capitol VisitorsCenter, named for the congressional staffer killed in the Tucson shooting in2011. Gabe's mother, Emily Nottingham, participated as the guest of Rep.Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09).

Inaddition, more than 100 other survivors and family members affected by gun violencewere in attendance as part of Mayors Against Illegal Guns' Demand A Plancampaign for common-sense gun law reforms that will help end the gun violencethat kills 33 Americans every day. These proposals are backed by the Members ofCongress who led the State of the Union effort. Survivors and familymembers present at the press conference came from at least 20 states andWashington, DC.

"Weknow all too well that difficult political obstacles threaten the chances ofenacting responsible legislation to better protect our communities andespecially our children," said Langevin, McCarthy, Ellison, DeLauro andCicilline. "However, the vast majority of Americans want us to strengthen gunsafety laws. For our effort to be successful, our elected officials must hearan outcry, and they must hear the stories of those who have been impacted bygun violence. It is our hope that the presence of these guests in the HouseGallery will send a strong message that the status quo in our gun laws isunacceptable."