ContactsNewark Office Camden Office Washington, DC 
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Preventing Gun Violence and CrimeSenator Lautenberg has consistently fought to strengthen our nation’s gun violence prevention laws and keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminals and terrorists. He has fought the gun lobby and special interests, and he has won. At the same time, Senator Lautenberg has demanded more funding and protections for local police and law enforcement officials to help them do their job and keep our streets safe. Domestic Violence Gun Ban and Brady Law Senator Lautenberg wrote the domestic violence gun ban to protect women and children by keeping wife beaters and child abusers from owning guns. To date, this law has kept more than 150,000 guns out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers. He was also a cosponsor and strong supporter of the Brady law, which established background checks for handgun purchases and has stopped more than 1.5 million felons and dangerous people from buying guns. Gun Show Loophole and Destruction of Gun Records Senator Lautenberg has continued to fight to close the gun show loophole. This loophole defies common sense and allows guns to be sold, even to criminals and terrorists, without background checks at gun shows. He has also written legislation to reverse a misguided law that requires the destruction of gun sale records within 24 hours of the sale, inhibiting the ability of law enforcement to prevent gun crimes and potentially terrorism. Keeping Guns out of Hands of Terrorists After Senator Lautenberg exposed in 2005 that the Bush Administration was blocking law enforcement from retrieving data about gun purchases by people on the terrorist watch list, the Department of Justice changed its policies, and now provides information to law enforcement when suspected terrorists purchase weapons. Later, in 2007, the Administration endorsed Lautenberg’s bipartisan proposal to restrict gun sales to suspected terrorists. Funding for Police and Law Enforcement As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Lautenberg has worked to keep cops on the street and increase funding for law enforcement efforts. For example, he has fought to continue funding for the COPS program, which provides critical grants to local communities to put and keep more cops on the street. The Bush Administration has tried to eliminate the COPS program. Senator Lautenberg also pushed to enact a major crime law that put 100,000 more cops on the street and led to an eight-year drop in crime nationwide. Reducing Recidivism by Criminals The more opportunities and assistance available, the less likely it is that individuals will repeat crimes in the future. Recognizing this, Senator Lautenberg cosponsored and worked to enact the Second Chance Act, now law, to help prisoners who have completed their sentences re-enter society by increasing access to drug treatment programs, encouraging states to reunite families and providing grants to give prisoners job skills while behind bars. He has also cosponsored legislation to fight the scourge of gangs, and has directed millions of dollars in federal funds to New Jersey programs that help prisoners reintegrate into the community and keep young people from turning to gangs and crime.
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