Congresswoman Nikema Williams Votes to Empower Communities to Prevent Gun Violence Through Extreme Risk Protection Orders

Statement

Today, Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05), voted to empower communities to prevent incidents of gun violence before they occur. The Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act empowers family members and law enforcement to seek a federal court order to temporarily remove access to guns from those who pose a danger to themselves or others while incentivizing states to adopt their own so-called "red flag laws."

Congresswoman Williams said:

"Stopping gun violence is personal for me; I saw a classmate gunned down in front of me my senior year of high school. We can help prevent other people from living through that horror by keeping guns away from people who pose a threat to themselves or others. Today's vote builds on the life-saving gun safety package I helped pass yesterday. The House of Representatives did its job to save lives with these commonsense gun safety bills. Now the Senate must act quickly to pass this legislation."

In recent weeks, Americans have witnessed horrific mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York -- and just this past weekend, at least thirteen mass shootings terrorized more communities across the country. A study by Everytown for Gun Safety found that most mass shooters exhibit warning signs before carrying out an attack. But without an extreme risk law, family and law enforcement lack the ability to temporarily disarm individuals considering acts of violence.

The Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act will allow family members and law enforcement officers to petition a federal court for an extreme risk protection order, empowering federal judges to prevent tragic shootings by temporarily removing firearms from potentially dangerous individuals. Additionally, this legislation will establish a new grant program at the U.S. Department of Justice, incentivizing more states to allow their courts to take this same lifesaving action.

Yesterday, Congresswoman Williams voted for the Protecting Our Kids Act, a robust legislative package of common-sense gun safety measures that will crack down on illegal gun trafficking, keep weapons of war out of the hands of teenagers, ban high-capacity magazines and bump stocks for civilian use, strengthen safe gun storage, impose background checks on untraceable "ghost guns" and more. This legislation builds on the Democratic House's twice-passed, widely popular legislation to secure universal background checks for gun purchases and close the Charleston Loophole -- action that is supported by nearly nine in ten Americans.

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