press
Washington, D.C., February 28, 2020 - Today, Brady endorsed Jaime Harrison for the U.S. Senate.
Brady President Kris Brown shared:
“Jaime Harrison is a proven leader and organizer committed to creating a safer and more equitable state for all South Carolinians. Harrison’s commitment to working with anyone, regardless of party label, to enact meaningful change embodies Brady’s motto, ‘Take Action, Not Sides.’ And, we know that he will take action. He is a strong voice for sensible policies, such as expanding and strengthening federal background checks, a policy supported by over 90 percent of Americans. He has demonstrated that he will work to enact these policies, not stand on the sidelines. Harrison knows that when it comes to solving South Carolina’s challenges, the state needs a leader who understands his community and put aside partisanship to deliver results. We need that moral leadership in Congress. Brady is proud to endorse Jaime Harrison for election to the U.S. Senate.”
South Carolina has the twelfth highest rate of gun death in the country - the state is looking for real leadership in the U.S. Senate to help address this crisis. From 2008 to 2017, 7,491 people died by gun in South Carolina, including the 44 people killed in 34 mass shootings that took place across the state.
As all South Carolinians are aware, this includes the June 17, 2015 mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston where nine parishioners participating in a bible study were murdered and another three injured by an avowed white supremacist.
This shooting should never have occurred, as the perpetrator had prior arrests that should have prohibited him from purchasing a weapon, but a loophole in the federal background check law - now termed the ‘Charleston Loophole’ due to its notoriety from this event - allowed him to purchase the weapon used in the attack.
The United State House of Representatives passed a bill, H.R.1112, to address this loophole in February 2019, but the bill has yet to be taken up in the U.S. Senate.
As a Senator, Jaime Harrison would join in the effort to pass this bill in the Senate and close the loophole that allows thousands of prohibited purchasers to obtain weapons. His voice and his vote are essential in this effort to pass this bill and additional common-sense gun violence prevention measures to help stop the daily instances of violence in South Carolina and across the country.
Candidate Jaime Harrison shared:
“I am honored to be endorsed by Brady and look forward to working together to stop the epidemic of gun violence here in South Carolina and across the country. More than four years ago, a lone gunman walked into Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina and killed our brothers and sisters. Families lost their loved ones, and I lost my friend Rev. Clementa Pinckney on that day. As Senator, I will fight for bold action and real reform rather than settle for symbolic gestures.”
Jaime Harrison understands the scope and effects of gun violence in South Carolina and in the United States, especially its disproportionate toll on communities of color. In South Carolina, where 28 percent of the population is Black, Black people account for nearly 66 percent of the state’s gun homicide victims. Harrison understands that solving this problem requires a concerted effort from all levels of government, as well as community-based solutions.
Brown concluded:
“The U.S. Senate has an opportunity to enact meaningful change and help save lives all across the country. South Carolina will be well served with a Senator that understands these issues and is willing to work to find solutions. We need Jaime Harrison in the U.S. Senate.”
Given the urgent need for federal action to reform our nation’s gun laws and to reduce gun violence, Brady will continue to issue endorsements for the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and state and local offices ahead of the 2020 elections.
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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.