Dem Congressman Bringing Anti-Gun Violence Pastor to SOTU

A Flint, Michigan, pastor who has worked to combat gun violence will attend President Donald Trump's first State of the Union address on Tuesday after accepting an invitation from Michigan Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee, MLive has reported.

Pastor Jeffery Hawkins, who has helped people cope with the loss of family members to gun violence, said he is "honored to attend the State of the Union address with Congressman Kildee, and my family appreciates his work in Congress to prevent gun violence and provide more opportunity for young people in our community."

Hawkins, who has had two sons killed in violent crimes, added, "Violence has a terrible impact on youth in the community. We must do more to prevent senseless gun deaths in communities like Flint."

Kildee called Hawkins "an important leader and role model in our community [who has] turned his family's grief over the loss of their two sons into action, because he does not want another family to experience similar tragedy."

The congressman added that "I am honored to have Pastor Hawkins as my guest this year to help highlight the need for more action by Congress to prevent gun violence."

Kildee has been working on a bipartisan bill to try and pass gun safety measures, including the regulation of bump stocks, following the massacre this past October at a concert in Las Vegas in which a gunman shot dead 58 people and wounded hundreds of others, The Hill reported.

Other Democratic congressmen have invited guests affected by the immigration debate to the State of the Union.

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