• Press Release

Supreme Court Decision To Not Hear Challenges to Gun Laws Underscores Needs for Congress to Implement Gun Reform, Invest in Communities

June 15, 2020

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 15: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that LGBTQ people can not be disciplined or fired based on their sexual orientation June 15, 2020 in Washington, DC. With Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Neil Gorsuch joining the Democratic appointees, the court ruled 6-3 that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans bias based on sexual orientation or gender identity. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Following the announcement that the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear multiple Second Amendment cases, Ernest Coverson, Campaign Manager for the End Gun Violence Campaign at Amnesty International USA, released the following statement: 

“The decision by the Supreme Court to not hear cases regarding the Second Amendment underscores the need for Congress to take up action to safeguard communities from gun violence and work towards preventing the 36,000 deaths caused by guns per year. Gun violence has become so prevalent in the United States that it has become a human rights crisis, as it denies the ability for one to live their life free from fear of violence.

“We urge Congress to use this time to increase our country’s investment in community gun violence prevention programs and passing universal background checks and bans on civilian possession of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. Specifically, we would like to see the Assault Weapons Ban (S. 66, H.R.1296), the Disarm Hate Act (S. 1462, H.R. 2708), and the Break the Cycle of Violence Act (S. 2671, H.R. 4836) be adopted.”