DeSaulnier Hails Passage of Landmark Legislation to Prevent Gun Violence
Press Release
Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) hailed passage of two landmark bills to combat gun violence -- the Bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R. 8) and the Enhanced Background Checks Act (H.R. 1446). Congressman DeSaulnier is a co-sponsor of both bills.
"The commonsense reforms we have made to gun laws in California are working, including universal background checks and mandatory waiting periods. And more than 90 percent of Americans support background checks on all gun sales, yet it has been over 25 years since Congress enacted a major gun safety law," said Congressman Mark DeSaulnier. "Every day we wait to address this crisis, more and more Americans die from gun violence. By requiring background checks on all gun sales and closing loopholes in the system, House Democrats are putting an end to Republican stonewalling and taking decisive action to make our country safer."
Congressman DeSaulnier is longtime advocate for gun violence prevention. He has an "F" rating from the NRA and has authored several bills to reduce gun thefts and increase community safety. He also introduced the Gun Safety Board and Research Act, a bill to enable evidence-based solutions to gun violence. The Board, which will be housed at the Department of Health and Human Services in recognition that gun violence is a public health epidemic, will be responsible for conducting research, evaluating federal and state policy proposals, and recommending best practices for reducing gun violence.
The Bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R. 8) would require a background check for every firearm sale in America, closing the loophole that allows unlicensed gun sellers to make a sale without performing a background check. The Enhanced Background Checks Act (H.R. 1446) would extend the initial background check review period from three to 10 business days, closing the "Charleston loophole" that allowed the sale of a gun that was used to kill nine people at Mother Emanuel Church in South Carolina in 2015. Both bills passed the U.S. House in 2019 with bipartisan support, but were not considered in the U.S. Senate.
Source