CONNECTICUT DEMOCRATIC PARTY
330 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06106 • ctdems.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2013

CONTACT: Elizabeth Larkin
(860) 560-1775

DISAPPOINTING VOTE IN US SENATE, BUT STILL NO ANSWER FROM TOM FOLEY

(Hartford, Connecticut) – Today, the Connecticut Democratic Party released the following statement from Executive Director Jonathan Harris:

“There are a bunch of words – shameful, embarrassing, pathetic, ridiculous, etc. – that could be used to describe yesterday’s defeat of common sense gun control measures in the US Senate. But at least elected officials made their positions known on the issue. It’s been a little more than four months since the Newtown tragedy, a little less than two months since Gov. Malloy proposed a package of common sense gun control measures, and exactly two weeks since the Connecticut Legislature overwhelmingly passed and Gov. Malloy signed into law the toughest gun control laws in the nation. In all that time, Tom Foley – who says he has what it takes to lead Connecticut as Governor – has outright refused to be clear about where he stands on one of the most important issues of our time. He’s flat-out refused to say whether or not he would’ve signed the bill Gov. Malloy signed, even as members of his own party cast their votes, here in Hartford and in Washington, DC.

Maybe that’s because Mr. Foley thinks he can get away it, maybe he thinks no one’s paying attention, or maybe he thinks the issue will fade away. Who knows what he thinks? He won’t say. But leadership is about accountability, it’s about taking a stand, it’s about standing up and being counted when everything is on the line. Tom Foley’s done none of those things. It can’t be that he doesn’t have a position on the bill that was signed into law; everyone does. What would he have done if he’d been Governor on April 4 and the bill got to his desk – run away and hide? No, he would’ve been forced to make a decision: sign it, or veto it. That’s the choice ‘Governor’ Foley would’ve faced. Why should Candidate Foley be allowed to get away without saying where he stands on the bill? He shouldn’t. And eventually he won’t. Maybe, just maybe, today’s the day.

So let’s give it one more try: Mr. Foley, would you have signed the bill? The people you say you want to govern deserve an answer.”

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