Congressman Suozzi and Reyna Address the Racist Shootings in Buffalo : Call out Hochul’s Hypocrisy on Gun Reform, Her Previous NRA Endorsement, and the Failure to Implement NYS’s Red Flag Law

USANewsOnline.Com Desk, New York, May 18, 2022 : Today, Congressman Tom Suozzi, common sense Democratic candidate for Governor, along with his running mate for Lieutenant Governor, Diana Reyna, today started their Zoom press conference by acknowledging the tragedy in Buffalo last Saturday and stating that as New Yorkers we need to do everything we can to help the community heal, prevent further tragedies and combat the racial hatred that fueled this horrific event.

Suozzi also pointed out Governor Kathy Hochul’s hypocrisy in demanding that Congress enact gun safety laws despite her own record in Congress of voting against some of those same measures.

During the press conference, Suozzi showed a video of Hochul proudly touting her National Rifle Association endorsement. Another video showed Hochul saying in the wake of the horrific Buffalo shootings last Saturday that Congress should be “ashamed” by not enacting background check legislation even though she pledged to vote against similar measures when she was in Congress.

“I’m angry that the governor of this state said that Congress should be ashamed for not taking action on background checks—when Kathy Hochul was one of the very members of congress who pledged to vote against gun safety laws when she was in Congress—all the while boasting about her NRA endorsement,” said Suozzi.

Diana Reyna, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, said: “Kathy Hochul is so hypocritical. She says Congress didn’t act on gun control, but she was in Congress, she supported the NRA. New Yorkers are paying the price for failed leadership, and this is an opportunity to change course.”

Suozzi went further, pointing to Hochul’s vote on a NRA-sponsored bill that would undermine New York’s gun laws. In 2011, Hochul, as a member in Congress, voted for the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011 (H.R. 822) that would mandate that all states that issue concealed carry permits to allow people from other states to carry a concealed weapon as long as they qualify in their home state. The bill would have forced New York, which has a much stricter concealed carry law than many other states, to allow people to come in from states with looser laws and carry concealed weapons.

Suozzi continued, “She says she’s concerned about the flow of guns coming into New York, but in Congress she voted for the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act – which would have allowed someone from outside New York with a concealed carry permit to bring their firearm to the Big Apple.”

As a Member of Congress, Suozzi, who has an F-rating from the NRA, has co-sponsored every major piece of gun violence legislation including H.R. 8 and H.R. 112, to support universal background checks, the Assault Weapons Ban, and Red Flag legislation.

Suozzi also pointed to the failure of Governor Hochul and the State to properly implement New York State’s Red Flag Law. He noted that as part of his 15-Point Crime Intervention and Prevention Plan that he released in January, point 14 is to “fully implement New York’s Red Flag Law to educate the public, law enforcement, social workers, and others that New York’s courts have the power to prevent “dangerous” people from having access to firearms.

Suozzi noted that Payton Gendron’s teachers, mental health counselors as well as the State Police and probably his family knew of his issues and that he possessed weapons. Under the New York State’s Red Flag Law, a process could have been instituted to remove his guns from him. The State has failed to properly educate the public, law enforcement, mental health community, and educators about the workings of this law.

Suozzi pledged that as Governor, he “will not make false promises to the people of Buffalo or the people of New York and then move on. I won’t wait for a crisis to act. I will work on this issue every day.”

Suozzi concluded, “the job of the State’s chief executive is to make sure things run properly, that our leaders are held accountable and that we keep the people of New York safe.” Press Release.