Blumenthal, CT Delegation Introduce Safe Gun Storage Legislation With Song Family

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) and U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), John Larson (D-CT), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Jim Himes (D-CT), and Jahana Hayes (D-CT) unveiled the introduction of Ethan’s Law during a virtual press conference with Ethan’s parents, Kristin and Mike Song. This legislation will create federal requirements for safe gun storage and establish strong penalties for any violations. The bill is named in honor of Ethan Song, a teenager from Guilford, Connecticut, who was tragically killed on January 31, 2018 – almost exactly three years ago – after accidentally shooting himself with an unsecured gun in a neighbor’s home.

“This kind of gun safety legislation is really simple and straightforward. If you don’t store it safely, you can be penalized and the legislation provides grant to states to enact their own laws, which is very important,” said Blumenthal on today’s press call.

“This week is National Gun Violence Survivors Week and this event is a call to action. We can save lives, we can save other loved ones the grief and heartbreak that Kristin and Mike have felt and it never goes away, and we have felt with them,” Blumenthal continued. “I have no doubt, none, that we are going to make it happen here in the House and the Senate.”

The full transcript of Blumenthal’s opening remarks on today’s press call is available below.

Thank you Mike and thank you Kristin. Thank you to our whole delegation. We are all on this call, all of Connecticut’s representatives in Congress.

You know, as often as I am with the Songs, as often as I’ve heard their story, I’m no less moved every time I hear them and every time I see Ethan, and I come away with the same heartbreak and anger and the determination to make sure we keep faith with them, with Ethan, with all of the loved ones who have lost children to gun violence and particularly in places like their neighbor’s house where a gun was unsafely stored and therefore available to Ethan and the neighbor’s children.

Less anyone think this problem is sort of negligible or minor. In fact, eight children every day, eight children every day, are injured or killed because of unsafely stored or insecurely supervised firearms. And the problem has only become worse during this pandemic. In fact in March and April of last year, it increased by 40 percent. Even during this pandemic, Kristin and Mike have not missed a beat. They have been such strong and staunch advocates. They have taken their story all around Connecticut and around the country.

I will never forget the day that we announced this bill first on the Guilford Green in the mist of snow. And I want to thank and pay tribute to the Connecticut legislature, particularly to Representative Sean Scanlon and State Senator Christine Cohen who championed this bill through the state legislature and it passed through their advocacy and through yours, Mike and Kristin.

So I have no doubt, none, that we are going to make it happen here in the House and the Senate and of course our entire delegation is behind it but particularly I want to thank Rosa DeLauro who has been such a great champion and she’s going to follow me in just a moment.

You know, the gun lobby, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the NRA, used to be in favor of gun safety. They came up with the rules for how to store a firearm and how anyone can oppose it given that the vast majority of the American people, 70 percent or more, are in favor of it, just boggles my mind, but we’re going to win because we have a powerful grassroots movement. It is a political movement that cannot be denied. It’s being led by the survivors and the loved ones like Kristin and Mike and this kind of gun safety legislation is really simple and straightforward. If you don’t store it safely, you can be penalized and the legislation provides grant to states to enact their own laws, which is very important. So the legislation is simple and straightforward but enormously meaningful and impactful.

This week is National Gun Violence Survivors Week and this event is a call to action. We can save lives, we can save other loved ones the grief and heartbreak that Kristin and Mike have felt and it never goes away, and we have felt with them. We have cosponsors but we’re going to reach out for more, and we’re going to make sure that we keep faith with them, that we make sure that as a part of what we hope will be a comprehensive set of proposals and Senator Murphy and I are working here in the Senate. Our delegation in the House has continued to work for universal background checks, emergency risk protection orders, the repeal of the sweetheart deal on immunity for gun manufacturers and other kinds of common sense measures, but Ethan’s Law, and it should be Ethan’s Law and Ethan Song will be known for the powerful impact it can have and I am really grateful beyond words to you Kristin and Mike for giving us your story, giving us your lives and Ethan’s story and his legacy.

So we’re going to keep up the fight, we’re going to get it done. Thank you for all your doing and now let me turn it over to a great champion, the dean of our delegation and the chair of the Appropriations Committee, Rosa DeLauro.

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