Eric Holder: Gun Lobby Stands For 'Violent And Dangerous Status Quo'

Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday called on the American people to "stand with and support" politicians who support proposed gun reforms when the Senate votes on the proposals in the coming weeks.

"Many have said that these will be 'tough' votes, and I understand that the gun lobby will attack some who support reform But progress is never easy, and taking risks to ensure change is almost always necessary," Holder said during a speech before the National Action Network on Thursday.

"The American people must stand with and support those who will be with us on this critical issue. The collective voice of those who overwhelmingly support the proposed reforms must overcome the efforts of the well-financed few who stand for a violent and dangerous status quo. Those whose lives have been impacted by gun violence -- the victims and the survivors -- are depending on us," Holder said.

From his prepared remarks:

In December, just days after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I traveled to Newtown. In what were without question the worst moments of my professional life, I walked the halls where those unspeakable acts took place. I met with the first responders and crime scene search officers who arrived at the school just after the first calls came in. And when these brave men and women asked me, with broken hearts and tear-streamed faces, to do whatever I could to prevent such a thing from happening again -- I told them I would not rest until we had secured the common-sense changes that they and those 26 angels deserved.

I promised them I would never forget -- just as I know you have not forgotten.