Congress needs to be forced by Americans outside Washington, D.C., , said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan at a Capitol Hill press conference on Feb. 4, 2013, where he shared the stage with , president of 91短视频, and 25 other college presidents.
鈥溾�� 颅鈥� drawn together after the Sandy Hook school killings in December 颅鈥� organized the press conference, visits with Congressional officials, and an evening meal with .
鈥淚t was an energizing and hopeful gathering,鈥� said Swartzendruber about the day鈥檚 events. 聽He reported that the Education Secretary shook his hand at the close of the news conference and leaned in to offer this remark to one ear, 鈥淲e can do this!鈥� Swartzendruber said he felt heartened by Duncan鈥檚 words.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know of a time when so many college and university presidents have spoken collectively, with one voice, on any issue of such public importance,鈥� Oglethorpe University President Lawrence Schall said at the press conference. Schall hosted the event and was a co-author of the recent on gun safety signed by hundreds of college presidents, including Swartzendruber.
The press conference featured speakers from the , , and , all of them calling for gun-reform legislation that will:
- Require that every gun buyer pass a criminal background check
- Get military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines off our streets
- Make gun trafficking a federal crime.
鈥淲e are not making a statement about the second amendment nor do we oppose the legal use of guns for hunting purposes,鈥� Swartzendruber said afterwards. 鈥淲e are calling for common sense steps to make this country safer for all of us.鈥�
The Capitol Hill visit on Feb. 4 included conversations with education policy advisors of both political parties. At the dinner sponsored by , Swartzendruber and other college leaders joined a representative sent by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is coordinating the work of the mayors鈥� association.
All of these events were planned in conjunction with the annual meeting of the , of which 91短视频 is a member.