WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senator Jack Reed today issued the following statement in
response to the White House’s “school safety” plan that focuses on arming
teachers:
“President Trump’s illogical school safety
plan would make schools less safe. Our teachers should be educators, not
armed guards, and the Trump plan to increase the number of guns in schools is
way off target.
“The Trump Administration beat a hasty retreat
from the President’s pledge to strengthen criminal background checks and raise
the minimum age for buying certain types of guns nationwide.
“Congress shouldn’t wait for the Secretary
DeVos’s commission. It should seize this moment to enact sensible,
bipartisan legislation to strengthen background checks, reinstate the assault
weapons ban, and lift the ban on federal gun violence research.
“While most of the President’s plan is
unworkable, one area of bipartisan agreement may be around Extreme Risk
Protection Order laws, commonly referred to as “red flags.” I agree with
Rhode Island Police Chiefs and Governor Raimondo that a reasonable red flag law
could be an important step in the right direction. I am working on a
bipartisan basis to provide federal support for this idea.
“We
should also dedicate more resources to fixing our schools and ensuring all kids
can go to school in a safe and positive learning environment. And we can
help teachers do their jobs by supporting them and giving them the training to
help reach kids in the classroom.”