They shouldn't carry this burden alone

Last year, I joined Alexandria Goddard, then a high school student from Beaverton and an activist for preventing gun violence, at Portland's March for Our Lives. She continues to be a fierce advocate for safety and a steadfast mentor to her peers.

I'm writing to you about Alexandria today because it’s been a year since the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Sadly, it’s been a year in which nearly 1,200 more children have been killed by gun violence.

The movement to end gun violence is being led by students like Alexandria and the many families hurt by this epidemic.

They shouldn't carry this burden alone. It’s time for Congress to act. It’s time for common-sense, bipartisan solutions -- like universal background checks. Join me in calling on my colleagues in Congress to pass universal background checks.

Thoughts and prayers are not enough. It’s time for action.