Dear Colleague on Upcoming Actions to Address Gun Violence

Dear Democratic Colleague,

As we confront a rising tide of gun violence across America, our hearts are filled with grief and outrage. Yet we continue to draw inspiration from the extraordinary courage and resilience of the survivors, who are transforming their anguish into action.

Again and again, House Democrats have taken action to stop the bloodshed. Since we took the Majority in 2018, House Democrats have twice passed the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and the Enhanced Background Checks Act. Together, these bills would secure universal background checks for all gun purchases – which is supported by nearly nine in ten Americans.

When we return to the Capitol, our Majority will take further action to stem the tide of gun violence.

Today, Chairman Nadler and the Judiciary Committee are holding a markup of the bold Protecting Our Children Act. This package, which we will vote on next week, will make an enormous difference in our fight against gun violence by:

• raising the purchasing age for semi-automatic weapons from 18 to 21 years old
• outlawing high-capacity magazines and bump stocks for civilian use, as these only make mass shootings more deadly
• subjecting ghost gun purchases to background check requirements
• cracking down on gun trafficking and straw purchases to get illegal guns off of our streets
• strengthening safe storage requirements to protect children from accidental shootings

Next week, we will also vote on the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act fromCongresswoman Lucy McBath and Congressman Salud Carbajal. This legislation will keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others by implementing a nationwide extreme risk law and encouraging states to enact their own extreme risk laws.

In the weeks ahead, the House will bring to the Floor Congressman David Cicilline's Active Shooter Alert Act to create an AMBER Alert-style notification during a mass shooting, a measure widely supported by law enforcement. And we will soon hold a hearing on an assault weapons ban bill: a step the Congress took decades ago that was proven to save lives and one that the American people support today.

As we go down this path, it is our responsibility to keep gun violence front and center in the media so that, strengthened by public opinion, we can get life-saving legislation over the finish line.

All of us who have had the solemn privilege of visiting with survivors in the wake of brutal attacks know that they want us to stop this from happening again. They want us to succeed in making progress. That is why we are striving to achieve the most unifying and bipartisan legislation possible, respectful of the legislative process in the Senate. We look forward to hearing tonight's remarks from President Biden – a longtime champion to stop gun violence.

It is sickening that, in America, more children die from gun violence than any other cause. Saving our children can and must be a unifying mission for our nation. To all those in the Congress who would stand in the way of saving lives: your political survival is insignificant compared to the survival of our children. We will not rest until the job is done.

Thank you for your continued leadership For The Children.

Sincerely,

NANCY