Response from Sen Cantwell on My Email re Gun Control

Dear Dr. Badalamente,

Thank you for contacting me to express your views on gun ownership and violence prevention. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

I support the Second Amendment and the rights of law-abiding Washingtonians who own guns. I also remain focused on addressing the deeply troubling violence in this country and making our state and our country as safe as possible for all people, including our most vulnerable citizens, our children. I believe both of these goals are important and can be simultaneously accomplished through common-sense gun violence prevention measures and the enforcement of existing laws.

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) introduced the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013 (S. 649) on March 21, 2013. This proposed legislation included provisions to expand background checks for private and interstate firearms transfers and would have made it a federal crime to traffic in firearms. Additionally, the bill would have authorized funds for the Secure Our Schools grant program under the Department of Justice to help equip schools with safety features and resources, including surveillance equipment and hotlines for reporting potentially dangerous situations.  On April 11, 2013, by a vote of 68 to 33, the Senate voted to move forward with consideration of the bill before the full Senate. During debate over this bill, the Senate voted on several amendments regarding gun violence prevention.

On April 11, 2013, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) introduced a bipartisanamendment to S. 649 to expand background checks to sales at gun shows and online sales. The amendment would have provided exemptions for background checks in the cases of private sales between family members and friends. On April 17, 2013, by a vote of 54 to 46, the amendment failed to attain the 60 votes necessary to move forward in the Senate.  I voted in support of this amendment.

On April 17, 2013, the Senate also considered an amendment regarding assault weapons by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). The amendment would have banned certain military-style, semi-automatic weapons, and make it illegal to produce, import, or sell magazines with capacity over ten rounds. The amendment failed by a vote of 40 to 60. I voted in support of this amendment to keep military-style weapons off the streets. 

On April 18, 2013, Senator Reid announced the Senate would put aside consideration of S. 649 to move forward with other legislative matters.   The Senate may take this bill up for consideration at a later date.

Along with addressing gun violence, making services for the mentally ill and their families more accessible will encourage those suffering from mental illness to seek needed care and support. While mental illness is not the cause of violent behavior, mental health care is a critical component of our healthcare system and an individual's overall health status. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately one in 17 Americans suffers from a seriously debilitating mental illness. I care deeply about mental health care and understand the important role access to behavioral health services plays in the lives of both those who suffer from mental illness and their family and loved ones.  This is why I voted in support of a bipartisan amendment introduced by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) , the Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act of 2013, which would improve upon existing mental health programs currently funded under the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education.  This amendment included measures to help school officials recognize and identify mental health conditions and improve suicide prevention and behavioral care resources.  This amendment passed the Senate by a vote of 95-2.

Thank you for expressing your thoughts on this issue. Please be assured I will keep your thoughts in mind as the Senate continues to address this issue.

Sincerely,  
Maria Cantwell 
United States Senator 


For future correspondence with my office, please visit my website at 
http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/ 

Responses from Senators Cantwell & Murray on my email regarding Republican attempt to defund NPR

Dear Dr. Badalamente,

Thank you for contacting me about funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue, and I regret the delayed response.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) was created by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 as a private, non-profit corporation with a mission to promote non-commercial radio and television broadcasting for instructional, educational, and cultural purposes. Subsequently, CPB offerings have been expanded to include online services. CPB was created as an independent corporation rather than a federal agency to ensure that grant recipients could be free from editorial interference by the government that might come from direct federal funding. 

The CPB is the largest single source of funding for public television and radio programming. Most CPB-funded television programs are distributed through the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and most CPB-funded radio programs are distributed primarily through National Public Radio (NPR), American Public Media, and Public Radio International. While each NPR and PBS station receives some funding from the CPB, the majority of each station's funding comes from direct private donations. 

Congress historically funds CPB two years in advance. That is, CPB funding for fiscal year 2010 was included in the fiscal year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill. Advance funding allows stations to plan programming and find additional sponsors. For fiscal years 2011, and 2012, Congress has appropriated $430 million and $450 million, respectively. The President's annual budget request included $450 million for CPB for fiscal years 2013 and 2014.  Recently, the House of Representatives proposed budget cuts tomany federal programs, including funding for public broadcasting.  The House's proposal, H.R. 1, would rescind any unobligated funds for CPB from fiscal year 2010, as well as an $86 million cut in fiscal year 2011 funding that covers assistance for stabilization grants (for stations that see non-federal revenues decline), digital programming production, and public radio interconnection upgrade or replacement.

Public broadcasting is an invaluable resource to Washingtonians like you and me.  Please be assured that as a member of the Senate Commerce Committee that oversees the CPB I will keep working with my colleagues in the Senate to make sure the CPB receives the federal funding it needs to continue supporting high quality public television and radio broadcasting and will also continue working to ensure that the governance of public broadcasting remains nonpartisan.

Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. You may also be interested in signing up for periodic updates for Washington State residents. If you are interested in subscribing to this update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely, 
Maria Cantwell
United States Senator

Dear Dr. Badalamente:

Thank you for contacting me in support of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and local public radio and television. I share your support for this important programming and appreciate your taking the time to express your views. 

CPB provides a unique service that is highly valued by communities throughout the country. As an alternative to commercial network television and radio, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR) offer a diverse range of educational and family-oriented shows for children that millions of Americans enjoy every day. 

I recognize the important contribution of CPB and have worked to increase its funding. In 2009, President Obama signed H.R. 1105, the Omnibus Appropriations Act, which included $430 million for CPB.  As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I supported this increase in funding and will continue to support funding for the CPB in order to keep this important service intact. 

Thank you again for contacting me, and please know that as Congress addresses public broadcasting in the 112th Congress, I will keep your views in mind. 

If you would like to know more about my work in the Senate, please feel free to sign up for my weekly updates at http://murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=GetEmailUpdates. Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me.

Sincerely,

Patty Murray
United States Senator