WASHINGTON - Several mayors, including some from Louisiana, are asking the Senate to act on gun safety legislation following two mass shootings over the weekend.

East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo, and Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins were among the 200 leaders who signed the letter.

The group is urging the Senate to vote on two House-passed bills expanding background checks for gun sales that were passed earlier this year.

The letter was sent to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. The mayors said "quick passage of these bills is a critical step to reducing gun violence in our country."

A portion of the letter said:

Already in 2019, there have been 250 mass shootings. The tragic events in El Paso and Dayton this weekend are just the latest reminders that our nation can no longer wait for our federal government to take the actions necessary to prevent people who should not have access to firearms from being able to purchase them.