Yesterday’s shooting in San Bernadino brought the number of mass shootings in the United States to 355 in just one year. This has to end.

MomsRising is an organization of more than a million moms, dads and others, and we are dedicated to the health and safety of our nation’s families. Today, our thoughts are with the victims and survivors of the shooting in San Bernardino, and their families. Our hearts go out to the many people and caregivers who work at the Inland Regional Center, a facility that serves people with developmental disabilities, and to the first responders, the community, and our nation.

But, even as we grieve, we know that we must act to stem the tide of gun violence in our country. Our hearts are breaking, and we are more determined than ever to see common sense gun laws. Once again, we are calling on our nation’s lawmakers to prioritize the lives, health and well-being of families over the financial interests of the gun lobby.

We join the President in calling on Congress to pass into law basic common-sense gun safety laws that will protect our children, our families, and our communities: criminal background checks for all gun purchases, including at gun shows and on the Internet; a ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; and a federal anti-gun-trafficking statute with real penalties to crack down on straw purchases.

The lives of our families hang in the balance. It is time to take action to end gun violence once and for all.

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