(WASHINGTON, D.C.)--Congressman Jamie Raskin issued the following statement in response to the deadly mass shootings this weekend in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio:

"We send love, sympathy and solidarity to the people of Dayton, Ohio, the latest victims of a reign of gun terror across the land. Within 13 hours the twin evils of racist white nationalism and nihilistic gun violence have destroyed dozens of American lives, obliterated hope for hundreds of families, traumatized millions of people, and forced the nation to demand answers from cynical NRA-controlled political leaders.

"It is time for President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to cut the crap. They must disenthrall themselves from NRA money and ideology long enough for the Senate to pass House bills that have been sitting on McConnell’s desk for months. America needs a universal criminal and mental background check on all gun purchases, which means listening to the 9 out of 10 Americans who want to close the private gun-show and Internet sales loopholes. We need to close the Charleston loophole. We need to give ATF real authority to inspect gun dealers on an unannounced basis and we also should reinstate the ban on the sale of military-style assault weapons, which are weapons of warfare. All of this is perfectly consistent with what every member of the Supreme Court says the Second Amendment allows: reasonable regulation in the interests of public safety.