Good to hear from your senator.

[FOTIS]

Dear Fotis,

 

Thank you for contacting me regarding federal gun control issues.  It is good to hear from you.

 

In the wake of the recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, a dynamic policy discussion on what we as a nation can do to stop senseless violence in our schools and in our communities has emerged.  It is clear that as we lend support to the families of the victims, we also need to examine the root causes of devastating events like this.  I believe it is important to make certain we know what causes the perpetrators to act and that solutions can be found in our families, culture, medicine, and faith.

 

On January 16, 2013, President Obama released his plan for gun control based on the recommendations of a gun violence task force, which was led by Vice President Joe Biden.  The plan has four main pillars: background checks, assault weapon and high-capacity magazine bans, school safety, and mental health services.  While President Obama invoked executive authority in issuing four Presidential Memoranda related to his plan, the directives do not impose a ban on semi-automatic assault weapons or high-capacity ammunition feeding devices.

 

As a life-long supporter of the Second Amendment, I remain staunchly opposed to the implementation of new gun control measures.  The law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen in Wyoming must not have their constitutional right to bear arms impeded upon.  I do not believe it is appropriate for gun control advocates to exploit this tragedy to further their anti-Second Amendment agenda. 

 

Everyone agrees that this country must take steps to control violent crime, but I believe we can keep America safe while protecting our constitutional freedoms.  Please know that I will oppose any proposed measure in the Senate that attempts to take away or severely limit this constitutional right and the values and way of life we hold dear in Wyoming.

 

Once again, Fotis, thanks for sharing your thoughtful comments with me.  I value your input.

 

 


John Barrasso, M.D.                                                                          
United States Senator

 

[DrMike]

Truly a diplomatic response. I do hope that he, together with a majority in either the Senate or the House, stand firm to resist the pressure of the media and the President to coerce imposition of severe restrictions.

 

[onesonek]

Problem is, most all (politicians) are all doing about as much possible to create the violence. We know none of those measures mentioned will do squat to control violence. And they really can't and totally defend against the lunatics. But I wish my Senators had such a stance as your's.
Get rig of the gun free zones, and 3-4 dead morons later, and that kind of violence will subside if not disappear. But no, let's punish and remove Right's of the innocent industry and consumer, is their MO.

 

[Oldtrader3]

My Senator (Patty Murray, head of Obama's job task force which has not met in a year), wrote me back and said that she supported any measure to control guns in this country and would be voting for Obama's bill. I wrote her back and suggested that at least she read my letter since I am handicapped and it is really hard for me to type well and write a letter.

I heard back on that letter that she had read my first letter and thanked me for it.

 

[CMBTshooter]

I haven't heard back from either of my senators. It's been over a month too.

Maybe I should give them a call.

 

[Guest]

Fotis,
Here's my reply I received today....

redacted my name, they at least had that right.

Dear Mr.
 
Thank you for expressing your concerns over gun control and access to mental health care.
 
When our children and families are no longer safe at our schools, in our malls, and in our movie theaters, we as a country must take action. The shocking numbers of public shootings throughout the country last year, culminating in Newtown, Connecticut, demand that we engage in a serious national discussion.  
 
Many people have expressed concerns about holes in our mental health care system that contributes to violence. Though people with mental illness are not at an increased risk of behaving violently in general, there is a subset of individuals with mental illness who are at risk of violent behavior of the kinds we have seen in public gathering places.
 
Over the last few years, Congress has passed laws to improve the mental health system so individuals in need of psychiatric evaluation, treatment, and support do not fall through the cracks. Several components of these laws have yet to be fully implemented.
 
In a bipartisan effort to ensure that mental and behavioral health services are covered by insurance in a manner equivalent to medical and surgical services. Congress passed the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act in 2008  This law prohibits insurance companies from  arbitrarily limiting the number of hospital days or outpatient treatment sessions a patient is granted, as well as prohibiting higher copayments or deductibles for subscribers who seek psychological services. Such practices by insurance companies were both wrong and counterproductive.  This legislation will help the 54 million Americans with mental illness gain access to appropriate and affordable treatment. My Senate colleagues and I have been working with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure this law is fully implemented.  Additionally, I and several of my colleagues sent a letter to President Obama asking him and HHS to fully implement the law.  
 
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is also working to improve access to mental and behavioral health services.  Individuals in Ohio who have been denied insurance coverage due to a pre-existing mental health condition can now access the new Ohio High-Risk Insurance pool.  For more information on the high risk pool or to sign-up for coverage, please visit http://www.insurance.ohio.gov/Documents ... olFAQs.pdf
 
The ACA immediately eliminated pre-existing coverage exclusions for children.  Kids will no longer be denied coverage — or have services excluded from coverage — as a result of pre-existing conditions.  Additionally, parents of young adults can now maintain coverage for their children until age 26. Serious mental illness is often first noticed in the late teens or early twenties, when the brain is changing rapidly and when pressures to perform are great.  It is crucial that young adults with existing or emerging mental illnesses not experience lapses in coverage at this time of high risk.
 
Beginning in 2014, insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to individuals with mental illness and insurers cannot use mental illness as a reason to raise premiums. HHS also established an essential benefits package — a set of health care service categories that must be covered by most plans — that will take effect in 2014. Mental health and substance abuse disorder services will be part of this package.  
 
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the ACA represent tremendous strides forward for mental health coverage and access. However, we must also re-examine our mental health safety net, which has faced unrelenting budget cuts, reducing access for some our most vulnerable citizens.
 
Finally, we must work to reduce the stigma attached to mental health treatment, and find ways to support families who are concerned about the mental health status of their loved ones. It is essential that families know about the mental health resources available to them, and that they understand they have allies and other resources to which they can turn.  Education about signs of mental illness, how to obtain a mental health screening, and how to access treatment services are simple but key ingredients to a successful national plan for managing mental health crises. Should any legislation concerning gun control and access to mental and behavioral health care come before the Senate, I will keep your thoughts in mind.
 
Thank you also for sharing your thoughts on background checks for firearms owners.
 
I continue to receive numerous constituent letters voicing opinions on this issue. Gun shows have become a way for criminals and gun traffickers to purchase weapons without a background check and without a record of purchase. Gun sellers at these shows are not always registered the same way as owners of gun shops. This enables people to sell guns to criminals or the mentally unstable without any record being created for law enforcement. The International Association of Chiefs of Police supports improving and expanding the background check process to ensure that registration and background check is conducted for every gun sale.
 
Gun control is a complex issue and we must work together to uphold our Constitution while at the same time ensuring that our communities are safe. We can and must act to ensure tragedies like this never happen again.
 
Should any legislation come before the Senate for a vote, I will keep your views in mind. Thank you again for getting in touch with me.
 
                         Sincerely,
              
                         Sherrod Brown
                         United States Senator
 
 
 
Stay connected with what's happening in Congress.  Sign up here for regular updates on the issues you care about the most: http://brown.senate.gov/newsletter/landing 

 

[JD338]

I have gotten a few as well as a result of the Ruger survey we did a couple weeks back.

JD338

 

[CMBTshooter]

Dear Joseph:

Thank you for contacting me regarding Senator Feinstein's assault weapons ban proposal. I appreciate hearing from you.

The numerous tragedies that our nation has had to face over the past year have been staggering. My own family, like all Americans, has been repeatedly shocked and deeply saddened by the violence we have witnessed, and my heart continues to be with the victims and their families. As Coloradans, we know how this type of tragedy can shake a community to its core and in the aftermath of these abhorrent acts our priority should be on supporting the survivors and families, and healing our communities.
We must have a real discussion in this country about finding ways to stop these senseless shootings. I believe a combination of improved access to mental health services, restrictions on certain weapons intended for the battlefield, and elimination of the gun show loophole are sensible steps that can protect our communities and particularly, our children. In Colorado, we support the right to bear arms and the ability of people to recreate, hunt, and protect their homes, and we want to keep the wrong weapons out the hands of the wrong people. I believe our state can come together to have a civil discussion that addresses these issues and as the President's taskforce releases its recommendations to prevent and reduce gun violence, we will ensure that Colorado's voices are heard.

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California plans to introduce a bill in the 113th Congress that will prohibit the sale, transfer, importation and manufacturing of assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition feeding devices. The ban will include 120 specifically-named firearms and will apply to large-capacity ammunition feeding devices capable of accepting more than 10 rounds. The bill will also require grandfathered weapons to be registered under the National Firearms Act and will include a background check of the owner and any future transferees. Although Senator Feinstein has not introduced the bill, she has indicated that she will do so at the start of the legislative session.

I look forward to reviewing Senator Feinstein's proposal, along with others brought before Senate. Let us all continue to keep the communities affected by these tragic acts in our thoughts and prayers.
I value the input of fellow Coloradans in considering the wide variety of important issues and legislative initiatives that come before the Senate. I hope you will continue to inform me of your thoughts and concerns.

Sincerely,
Michael F. Bennet
United States Senator


And another one:

Thank you for your message to my U.S. Senate office. Each week, I receive over 10,000 letters from Coloradans with their thoughts and suggestions. Your views are invaluable and keep me consistently updated on Coloradans’ concerns. Please know that we read each letter and email and will do our utmost to get you a timely response addressing your thoughts and concerns.

I am honored to serve as your U.S. Senator. My top priority in the Senate is to provide efficient and effective representation of people across our state. Please know that my Colorado staff is available to handle specific services relating to the federal government (such as help with a passport, claim for veterans’ benefits or a citizenship matter) and my Denver office can be reached at 303-650-7820. If you would like to check on a request for services from my Washington, D.C. office, please call 202-224-5941 or toll-free at 877-7-MUDALL (877-768-3255). Otherwise, be assured that we are reading your comments.

Mark Udall
U.S. Senator, Colorado


I have a feeling these two gentlemen have no interest in dialogue. They'll probably support an outright ban.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Prolly not! Just like Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cant(-do-)well fom Microsoft and recently representing Washington. We are not sure what else Maria does or represents? All they care about is killing more little, unborn babies, a program also euphemistically know also as "women's rights"! This program, Planned Parenthood, also received over $450 million in government subsidies last year, meaning: no baby goes un-killed without a US Government (Taxpayer) subsidy of $150.00 per dead baby! However, neither of these women will talk to me or anyone about either the human cost of abortion or the rationality of gun control versus mental health.

What does it take to make these upper middle class, Microsoftians, talk about these issues to actual people like myself? Rhetorial question I know, because they won't. Now we have another one (Del Bene) who was elected to represent the 1st Congressional District in Washington. Del Bene has personally uncreated at least 10,000 jobs just in the failure of just Drugstore.com in her destructive career of reverse entreprneurship in three companies, since leaving the hallowed but strangely human free halls of Microsoft!

We apparently need to suceed Seattle from the State of Washngton to get good government, free of the evil influences of Microsoftian's.