Skip to main content

Gun Violence Prevention

Far too many mass shootings plague our nation. As a former prosecutor whose father is a retired police officer and whose two younger brothers currently serve in law enforcement, I have witnessed first-hand the destruction of firearm violence. I will never stop working towards solutions that protect our communities and keep our children safe from this serious epidemic.

At the same time, I am the son and brother of responsible gun owners. Like them, I know that most Americans are law abiding citizens who respect gun violence prevention reforms as much as the Second Amendment. I will also continue respecting their rights to lawfully own a firearm.

In Congress, I support common-sense reforms to prevent gun violence and make Americans safer. We must keep dangerous weapons off our streets, improve our background check system, and provide schools with the required resources to keep our children secure. To keep weapons of war out of our communities, I support banning the manufacture, sale, and possession of military-style semiautomatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. We should also create a federal buyback system to allow individuals who already own these firearms to receive compensation when complying with new prohibitions. Read more about my proposal in my USA Today op-ed.

What I am Doing for You

I authored the No Guns for Abusers Act, to help states enforce laws that remove illegal firearms from domestic abusers. The risk of intimate partner homicide is five times greater if an abuser has access to a firearm. My bill would require the Attorney General to award grants to states to help enforce existing relinquishment laws or to encourage the adoption of programs that support domestic abuse survivors.

I proudly voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation, the first to become law in 30 years, provides life-saving reforms including enhancing background checks, supporting crisis intervention tools that remove firearms from dangerous individuals, addressing the "boyfriend" loophole, funding community violence intervention programs, limiting gun trafficking, and making critical investments in mental health and school safety.

I cosponsored and voted for, and the House passed, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. This bill would expand the federal background check system to cover all firearm sales, including those at gun shows, over the internet, or in classified ads, while also incentivizing states to provide more accurate and complete information to the national background check database.

I cosponsored and voted for, and the House passed, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021. This bill would close the "Charleston loophole," a gap in federal law that lets gun sales proceed without a completed background check if three business days have passed.

I cosponsored and voted for, and the House passed the Violence Against Women Act. This legislation included key firearm violence prevention measures, including those that require the federal government to notify local officials when a convicted domestic abuser attempts to illegally obtain a firearm. This program, known as the NICS Denial Notification, was a program I worked on as part of the NICS Denial Notification Act of 2021.

I cosponsored and voted for, and the House passed the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act. This legislation would establish a federal Extreme Risk process in all fifty states with funding to support such programs. Commonly referred to as "red flag" laws, these important measures help remove firearms from individuals who are clearly dangerous with a propensity for imminent violence.

I am an original cosponsor of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2021, to ban certain assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, stemming the tide of weapons of war to our schools and communities. I am an original cosponsor of the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, to ensure that the gun industry - including manufacturers, sellers, and interest groups - is not shielded from liability when negligently manufacturing clearly dangerous firearms or ammunition that cause serious harm. The bill would repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, effectively giving victims of gun violence their day in civil court.