WASHINGTON, DC— Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) released the following statement today on the second anniversary of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.

"Two years ago, 20 children and six courageous educators were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School. My thoughts and prayers are with these innocent victims, their families and the Newtown community on this somber anniversary.

"The massacre in Newtown that December day was a heartbreaking example of our nation’s epidemic of gun violence. Two years on, gun violence continues unabated at our schools, workplaces, houses of worship and shopping centers – places where Americans should feel safe. It is shameful that Congress has failed to take meaningful action to curb this scourge of violence that continues to ravage our communities. We must keep pushing Congress to pass common-sense legislation to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, children and the mentally ill, while preserving our Second Amendment rights. The victims of Sandy Hook – and all those who have been affected by gun violence before and since then – deserve no less.”