Maine’s congressional delegation reacts to Biden’s speech

Three of Maine’s four representatives in Congress reacted to President Biden’s call for tougher gun laws in a speech Thursday night.

A spokesperson for Rep. Jared Golden said the congressman would not be able to offer a reaction Thursday night.

Rep. Chellie Pingree, center, with Senators Angus King, left and Susan Collins. Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press, File

Sen. Angus King, independent: “In the last three weeks, we’ve seen gunmen inflict mass murders at a grocery store, an elementary school, and a hospital – issuing reminder after painful reminder that in our current reality, no place and no one is immune from gun violence. The status quo cannot hold; we need to enact change that can save lives. America cannot and should not be the only nation in the world where these murders are so commonplace. Congress needs to advance common-sense, widely popular proposals similar to the bipartisan red-flag law I’ve introduced, which will help give states the tools to get guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals, while ensuring due process rights are protected. I also strongly support additional proposals, including universal background checks and banning high-capacity magazines. Tonight, President Biden clearly issued a call for action – and I intend to work closely with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance bipartisan legislation that will make our communities safer.”

Sen. Susan Collins, Republican: “I remain committed to working with the group of senators who are seeking to find consensus on gun safety legislation. Several of the proposals mentioned by the president are under consideration by our group. We are making rapid progress toward a common-sense package that could garner support from both Republicans and Democrats.”

Rep. Chellie Pingree, Democrat: “It has been years since we had a president push Congress so urgently to safeguard Americans from the unmitigated plague of gun violence. How many mass slaughters in our elementary schools, grocery stores, or hospitals will it take for my Republican colleagues to put blind partisanship aside and recognize that it is downright reckless for Congress to permit teenagers to buy weapons of war without so much as a background check? Next week I will be acting on the president’s call and those of my concerned constituents who have waited far too long for Congress to act on gun violence.”