Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement on the tragic mass shooting in Buffalo, New York: “I am horrified to see another devastating act of hateful gun violence in America. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the thirteen innocent people who lost their lives due to this tragic hate crime. This story is not new; we’ve seen this play out repeatedly. But we are very clear, thoughts and prayers are not enough. Firstly, gun violence is a public health crisis that must be addressed, and we must legislate as such. Secondly, vigilantes acting with racial animus and espousing white supremacist ideology that results in the loss of innocent lives must be classified as a hate crime, full stop,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty. “Last year, more than twenty thousand Americans lost their lives to gun violence. In the aftermath of this horrific episode, Congress has a moral obligation to make our nation fairer and safer for all Americans. There must be accountability for hate, there must be criminal justice reform, and there must be common-sense gun reform. That is why Democrats in the House passed sweeping legislation to address these glaring issues. The Senate must abolish the Jim Crow era filibuster and pass the legislation that will save the lives of innocent Americans. We owe it to the victims, their families, and all Americans to take action.”