Millions of American were horrified by the recent elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 21 students and teachers dead. For actor Matthew McConaughey, the shooting hit particularly close to home. McConaughey was born and raised in Uvalde, and spent much of the last week there, visiting with the victims’ families. Then McConaughey traveled to Washington D.C., to lobby the government to pass gun control reform.

During his trip to Washington, McConaughey visited briefly with President Biden, and met with several Senators of both parties who are discussing bipartisan gun control legislation. Then he spoke at the podium in the White House briefing room for roughly 20 minutes, where he gave an impassioned speech on behalf of the victims and survivors of the Uvalde shooting, pleading for action in the wake of the tragedy.

McConaughey, who also recently wrote an op-ed in the Austin American-Statesman in which he describes himself as a believer in the Second Amendment who also believes in the need for what he called “gun responsibility,” said...

Responsible gun owners are fed up with the Second Amendment being abused and hijacked by some deranged individuals. These regulations are not a step back -- they're a step forward for a civil society and, and the Second Amendment.

He also said he had spent a great deal of time with the parents of the children killed in Uvalde, who told him “they want their children's dreams to live on. That they want their children's dreams to continue, to accomplish something after they are gone. They want to make their loss of life matter.”

Bipartisan talks on gun reform continue in the Senate. You can watch McConaughey’s entire speech at the White House below:

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