NEWS FROM CONGRESSMAN ELIOT ENGEL

Engel Calls for Greater Gun Control at Westchester Vigil for Victims of Gun Violence

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel issued the following statement on last night’s vigil in Westchester for victims of gun violence: 

“Last evening, the Westchester community came together in a beautiful showing of solidarity for the victims of this weekend’s awful gun violence. I was proud to join them and to remind the President and Moscow Mitch that we won’t stand a moment longer for their inaction. They work for the American people, not the NRA, and the American people want sensible gun control.

“The actions we need to take are obvious and have been staring the GOP in the face for years. We need expanded background checks. We need to ban assault weapons. We need to ban high capacity magazines. We need to ban armor-piercing ammunition. Video games and social media aren’t to blame for these shootings. And couching our national gun violence epidemic as a ‘mental health issue’ is just another way to avoid addressing the problem, while appeasing fanatics in the NRA.

“In order to move forward the President must also take stock in his own behavior, and how his words stoke the flames. You cannot say we need to condemn hatred and racism while simultaneously stoking hatred and racism for political gain. The American people aren’t stupid.”

Engel on the 54^th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act

  “54 years ago today, Congress passed one of the most meaningful pieces of legislation in our nation’s history, the Voting Rights Act. This landmark bill established the principle of fairness in our electoral system and removed longstanding discriminatory barriers to voting. But even in 2019, many still face undue burdens when it comes to exercising their right to vote. Shelby v. Holder set our country back tremendously by opening the door for a flurry of state activity aimed at suppressing voter turnout. We can’t sit idly by and allow GOP lawmakers to circumvent the will of the people. 

“I’ve introduced a comprehensive Constitutional Amendment, H.J.Res. 9, to fix many of the problems plaguing our electoral system, including the outdated and regressive electoral college and political gerrymandering. We need to abolish both and we also need to get big money out of politics, which my amendment would also do. Many of the provisions I included in H.J. Res. 9 made their way into the major electoral and ethics reform bill that I voted for and House Democrats passed earlier in the year, H.R. 1 the For the People Act.

“While passage of H.R. 1 by the Senate would be a tremendous step forward, H.J.Res. 9 represents my full vision for a more inclusive approach to voting rights in America. On this 54^th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, I urge my colleagues to think bigger when it comes to protecting the right to vote.”

ENGEL STATEMENT ON ADMINISTRATION’S PLAN TO WITHHOLD FUNDING FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS EFFORTS 

 Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to freeze foreign affairs funding approved by Congress:

“This Administration’s contempt for Congress is astounding. When Congress decides how much we spend on foreign assistance, it isn’t a suggestion. It’s the law, backed up by the constitution.

“This dangerous action would undermine global health efforts. It would stymie attempts to stop democratic backsliding and deter Russia’s harmful influence. It would devastate our ability to project American values and leadership across the globe. And when American troops are deployed to so many countries around the world, the last thing we should do is cut funding for the diplomats who can keep them from putting their lives on the line.

“President Trump and Secretary Pompeo should follow the law and stop playing politics with our foreign affairs budget. If they move ahead with this plan, I’ll use the full power of the Foreign Affairs Committee to reverse their efforts and to demand answers about why this Administration seems determined to ignore the will Congress and undermine American leadership.”