Comedian Amy Schumer and New York Sen. Chuck Schumer announced on Monday a three-part plan to work together to address gun violence and mental health.
The joint effort by the second cousins came less than two weeks after John Russell Houser opened fire inside a movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana, during a screening of Amy Schumer's Trainwreck, killing two people and injuring nine others before killing himself.
The actor told the reporters that she was devastated by the mass shootings in Columbine, Newtown, and Aurora.
"I was heartbroken, again, when I heard about Lafayette. And I still am," she said. "We need a background check system without holes and fatal flaws. We need one with accurate information that protects us like a firewall should. The critics scoff and say, 'There is no way to stop crazy people from doing crazy things.' They're wrong."
She hinted on Twitter on Aug. 1 that a public response was on the way.
@cdickason11 @sfclem Her name was Mayci, not Marci and I think about her and Jillian everyday. Don't worry I'm on it. You'll see.
Sen. Schumer said the actor's fame could help to spread the message of gun control.
"If there is anything that the mass shootings in Lafayette, Chattanooga, Charleston, Virginia Tech, Aurora, Sandy Hook, and so many other places have taught us," Sen. Schumer said, "it's that we should be do everything in our power to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of hateful evildoers and the mentally ill."
The senator then proposed a plan that includes incentives for states that "submit all necessary records into the background check system and creates penalties for states that do not submit all records," according to a press release.
Sen. Schumer's proposal also called upon Congress to continue funding mental health and substance abuse programs to better assist those who seek those services.
Finally, the proposal calls for the Department of Justice to conduct a comprehensive review of states' standards for involuntary commitment, or when an individual is ordered by the court to a mental institution.
Amy Schumer said that the actions the senator described were "sensible measures and restrictions."
"No one wants to live in a country where a felon, the mentally ill, or other dangerous people can get their hands on a gun with such ease," she said. "The time is now for the American people to rally for these changes."
Watch a clip of Amy Schumer's address here.
