Seven years ago this month, Boston Mayor Tom Menino and I invited 13 other mayors to join us in forming a new bi-partisan coalition, Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

At the time, the silence coming from Washington on gun policy was as deafening as it was deadly.

Tom was as frustrated by that as I was – and together, we resolved to do something about it. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Tom to expand our coalition – we now have more than 900 mayors from every region of the country – and to force Washington to hear the voices of mayors, police chiefs and the victims of gun violence and their families.

The fact that the US Senate will hold a vote next month on the first major gun safely legislation in more than a decade is a testament to Tom’s determined leadership.

As his partner in the coalition, I want to thank Mayor Menino for all his extraordinary work in the fight to make our communities – and our country – safer. And as someone who was born in the city he has served so well, I want to thank him for his outstanding record of accomplishment over the past 20 years.

He will be remembered as one of the most influential and important mayors in Boston’s long history, and – it is my fervent hope – someone who began to turn the tide against the scourge of gun violence in this country.

It seems only fitting that he is making this announcement on the day that our coalition is conducting the most sweeping day of advocacy in U.S. history aimed at reducing gun violence.

And I know that as the debate in Washington unfolds in the weeks ahead, Mayor Menino will be helping to lead the charge – just as he has always done.