Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Condemning Republicans For Sneaking A Radical Gun Measure Into Their “Big, Ugly Bill” And Vowing That Senate Democrats Will Fight This Provision At Every Level

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor to bring attention to a radical gun provision that Republicans have snuck into their “Big, Ugly Bill” that reverses a century’s worth of commonsense rules on silencers, vowing that Senate Democrats will fight to prevent it from ever becoming law. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

As we speak, Republicans are once again trying to jam through a reckless, extreme giveaway to the gun lobby – a provision that will endanger our kids, betray law enforcement, lead to more gun deaths.

Deep in their so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill,” Republicans snuck in a radical measure to reverse nearly a century – a hundred years – of commonsense rules on silencers.

Senate Democrats will fight this dangerous provision with every tool at our disposal – including trying to strike it in the Byrd Bath.

Parents don’t want silencers on their streets. Police don’t want silencers on their streets. The only ones who do? The gun lobby – and that’s exactly who this provision is written for.

Silencers have been used in mass killings. Murderers, lawbreakers – they're the ones who want silencers. And they’ve been used in targeted assassinations. In crimes where bystanders didn’t even know gunshots had been fired until it was too late.

There is nothing common sense about making these deadly devices easier to buy, easier to make, easier to use in crimes.

To the extreme Republicans, and they’re extremists these days, who slipped this silencer sneak attack into their bill: shame on you.

Shame on you for putting the gun lobby over the lives of our kids.

Shame on you for endangering families and law enforcement. All the law enforcement people I speak to don't want this Republican proposal because they know that the people who want silencers are the criminals, who our brave police and others are fighting.

Shame on you, Republican right-wing and all the Republicans who, even when they know they're wrong, go along with that right-wing, for adding fuel to America’s gun epidemic.

As I said, police departments across America have been clear: silencers make their jobs harder – delaying response times, making it harder to catch criminals, harder to solve gun crimes, and yes, easier for criminals to get away with murder.

You cannot call yourself pro-law enforcement while voting to put more silencers in criminals’ hands.

If Republicans get their way, it will be open season for criminals with silencers. Senate Democrats will fight this provision at the parliamentary level and every other level with everything we’ve got.

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