Annmarie Fertoli, Associate Producer, WNYC News
Annmarie Fertoli is an Associate Producer at WNYC, working with the afternoon news team to produce All Things Considered.
Mayor, Lawmakers Renew Push for Gun Control in Wake of Newtown
Monday, December 17, 2012
The shooting rampage in Connecticut that left 27 dead, including 20 children, has re-ignited conversations about gun control across the nation.
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY, 4th District) has long supported a ban on assault weapons, which expired in 2004, and plans to reintroduce a bill to Congress.
Speaking on WNYC's The Takeaway on Monday, she acknowledged that it’s going to be a tough fight.
“Right now, everybody’s talking about it,” she said. “Will they be talking about it or will the American people be with us come three months, four months from now?”
McCarthy’s husband was killed in a mass shooting on the Long Island Rail Road in 1993. She said she knows the pain families in Connecticut are feeling.
Although she expects a fight on Capitol Hill, McCarthy’s still hopeful.
“Mayor Bloomberg, I believe, will put his full force on trying to talk to Republican members, and try and get them to sign on,” she said. “And I think that’s important.”
On Monday, Mayor Bloomberg demanded Presidential and Congressional action on gun control, including a new assault weapons ban, limiting high capacity magazines, and stricter enforcement of background checks for those who want to buy guns.
“If this moment passes into memory without action from Washington, it will be a stain upon our nation’s commitment to protecting the innocent, including our children,” Bloomberg said.
He spoke during a news conference, flanked by families of the victims of gun violence.
“Last night the president said he would use whatever powers his office holds to address this violence,” Bloomberg said. “I think it is critical that he do so. Words alone cannot heal our nation. Only action can do that.”
“Last night the president said he would use whatever powers his office holds to address this violence,” Bloomberg said. “I think it is critical that he do so. Words alone cannot heal our nation. Only action can do that.”
Listen to the above audio for more analysis of Mayor Bloomberg's gun control advocacy from WNYC's Arun Venugopal.
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