Rebecca Bennett, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords Host Gun Safety Roundtable with Local Law Enforcement and Advocates

SOMERVILLE, NJ — Today, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and Rebecca Bennett hosted a roundtable with advocate Kim Banks, Assemblyman Vinnie Kearney, Union County Sheriff Peter Corvelli, and Commissioner Palmieri-Mouded about the need for gun violence prevention and leadership in Washington willing to stand up to the powerful gun lobby.

“I am grateful to Congresswoman Giffords, Kim, Assemblyman Kearney, Sheriff Corvelli, and Commissioner Palmieri-Mouded for coming today to share their stories and ideas of how we can end gun violence in this country. In Congress, I am committed to fighting to pass commonsense legislation to keep our kids safe and get weapons of war off of our streets,” said Rebecca Bennett.

“As a US Navy helicopter pilot, Air National Guard officer and healthcare leader, Rebecca Bennett has dedicated her career to keeping our country and communities safe, and solving tough problems. As your next Congresswoman, Rebecca will always put public safety over politics and remain focused on advancing solutions to reduce gun violence and making communities safer,” said former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. “Rep. Kean has shown he won’t show up for New Jersey families, but will side with the gun lobby and take orders from President Trump. The stakes of this race couldn’t be higher and Rebecca Bennett is the champion the Garden State needs in Washington to build a safer future.”

“I lost my middle son, Samaad, to gun violence on December 31, 2019, in Somerset, New Jersey. To honor him and continue his legacy, I started a nonprofit, One Family One Fight, to be a support system in my community and give young people opportunities to thrive. I believe we need elected leaders who will help us accomplish this mission. I’m proud to support Rebecca Bennett because as a mom, I know she’s committed to protecting all of our kids from senseless gun violence,” said Kim Banks, Advocate and Founder of One Family One Fight, Inc.

“Rebecca served in the U.S. Navy and understands how to use weapons of war — and as a mom, she understands the impact that gun violence is having on all of our kids. She’s the type of leader that law enforcement and state legislators are going to be able to rely on to do the right thing in Washington. Her leadership will help us protect first responders in the line of duty while making sure that our kids can grow up without living in fear,” said Assemblyman Vinnie Kearney.

“I have been serving for 35 years, and know that gun violence prevention is a community effort. As the Union County Sheriff, I have seen firsthand how when we work together on the local, county, state, and federal level, we can keep our communities safe. I am supporting Rebecca because she will work with law enforcement and community leaders to make sure that we have the tools to keep our communities safe,” said Union County Sheriff Peter Corvelli.

“Here in Union County, we see firsthand that public safety is about more than responding after violence occurs. It is also about prevention, mental-health resources, strong partnerships with law enforcement, and making sure communities have the tools to intervene before a crisis becomes a tragedy. As federal support for these efforts is reduced, the need does not go away. We need leaders in Washington who understand the impact those decisions have at the local level and who will work with counties and communities to keep illegal guns off our streets and strengthen the resources that help prevent gun violence in the first place. I was glad to join Rebecca today to have this important conversation about how we can continue working toward safer communities for New Jersey families,” said Commissioner Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded.

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