Gun Safety

As an American, I remain deeply concerned and outraged by the constant threat that gun violence and domestic terrorism pose to the safety and stability of our nation. With over 300 mass shootings in the first six months of 2022, our country has painfully become the global outlier, with a significantly higher gun death rate, than any developed nation

I have always been and will always be a staunch supporter and relentless advocate for prudent gun regulation and legislation that will make our communities safer.

As a Senior Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I helped pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which President Biden signed into law. It enhances background checks, imposes harsher penalties on illegal purchases, incentivizes states to enact “red flag” laws that enable firearms to be temporarily confiscated from people deemed dangerous, and allocates hundreds of millions of dollars for mental health and school safety. Although the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is an excellent first step, Congress must continue to approve more common-sense measures to combat the gun violence epidemic in our country.

I introduced the Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act of 2021, which would provide grants to states and local governments for voluntary gun buyback programs. There are 121 firearms for every 100 U.S. civilians in the United States. Further, research indicates that gun buybacks are a cost-effective approach to reducing the number of weapons that lead to injury and death. Through this bill, individuals who securely dispose of their firearms would receive a smart prepaid card that could be used to spend money in their communities.

I am also an original cosponsor of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022, which would prohibit the sale, transfer, production, and importation of semiautomatic assault weapons or large-capacity ammunition feeding devices. Public health experts have identified that bans on large-capacity magazines are associated with approximately 40 percent fewer fatalities and 80 percent fewer nonfatal injuries in mass shootings. We also know that since the federal ban on assault weapons expired in 2004, the number of mass murders has soared. We need to act as we mourn the victims of horrific mass shootings perpetrated through assault weapons in Uvalde, Texas; Buffalo, New York; and Highland Park, Illinois. This bill would prevent future carnage from quickly taking place as it currently does in our communities.