House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called on Speaker Paul Ryan Monday to create a special commission to examine gun violence and suggest legislation to combat the problem.
Pelosi, D-Calif., sent the letter to Ryan as former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, also asked Congress to create a commission to study gun violence.
“I urge you to create a Select Committee on Gun Violence to study and report back common sense legislation to help end this crisis,” Pelosi, D-Calif., wrote to Ryan, R-Wis. “The bipartisan committee would make recommendations to prevent unspeakable tragedies such as the mass shooting in Las Vegas and to restore confidence in the safety of our communities.”
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., introduced a bill in May that would create a House Select Committee on gun violence prevention. Thompson’s legislation calls for studying the causes of mass shootings as well as methods “to improve the federal firearms purchaser background check system,” among other issues.
Republicans have resisted efforts by Democrats to force a House vote on gun control legislation.
Democrats have proposed measures expanding background checks and limiting the types of gun and ammunition purchases.
Pelosi said Monday is “a day for action” because of the shooting.
Critics have accused gun control proponents of politicizing the Vegas shooting, which has so far resulted in 58 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
“As members of Congress, our words of comfort or the families and victims of the Las Vegas massacre will ring hollow unless we take long overdue action to ensure that no other family is forced to endure such unimaginable tragedy,” Pelosi said in her letter to Ryan.
