Dear Diane,
Thank you for contacting me with your opposition to gun control legislation.
I want legislation that will best prevent crimes like the tragedy in Newtown. But I didn't come to Washington to vote for bills that create more problems than they solve and, in the process, further degrade our freedoms.
That's why I supported the common sense proposal from Sen. Chuck Grassley. Forty-two other Republicans and nine Democrats supported it because it would have strengthened the enforcement of our current laws. In 2010, 73,000 individuals failed the current background checks — 48,000 of them were felons or fugitives. Only 62 cases were sent to prosecutors. Only 44 were actually prosecuted. The legislation I supported would have helped put these gun-seeking criminals in jail.
In contrast, the president's attempt to pressure Americans into supporting ill-considered gun control is a classic example of Washington's misguided intrusion into our lives. If the president and his supporters were truly serious about moving in a positive direction, once their proposal failed, they would have voted for the bipartisan alternative I supported.
When I ran for the Senate, I said we have enough gun laws and that we should enforce the laws we already have. That is how I have voted since I was elected. This vote was consistent with that record.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts. It is important for me to hear the views and concerns of the people I serve. It is an honor representing you and the good people of Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate.
Sincerely,
Ron Johnson
United States Senator