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Ending Gun Violence

Ending Gun Violence

For too long, Congress has failed to address the rampant gun violence in our nation. We cannot allow this senseless violence to continue and must take aggressive, comprehensive measures to render gun violence obsolete and guarantee that every single American feels safe in their community. I will never stop fighting to protect Americans and ensure no family ever experiences the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence again.

Passing Common-Sense Gun Legislation

In the wake of every horrific mass shooting, there is talk about reforming our nation’s gun laws, but the time for empty talk is long past over. We must prevent these massacres from happening by instituting common-sense reforms, like expanding our background check system and preventing dangerous weapons from ending up in the wrong hands.

I proudly voted for the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act,” signed into law by President Biden on June 25, 2022. This legislation will enhance background checks for people under 21, clarify the definition of a federally licensed firearms dealer, and narrow the “boyfriend” loophole by adding convicted domestic violence abusers in dating relationships to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Additionally, it will invest in mental health services for children, families, and schools, as well as provide funding for states to implement extreme risk protection orders and other crisis intervention programs.

Banning Assault Weapons

To address the root cause of America’s gun violence epidemic, we must unequivocally keep weapons of war out of our communities. While I respect law-abiding Americans’ Second Amendment right to bear arms, there is no reason any civilian should have access to the weapons designed to maximize casualties on a battlefield.

I have always supported policies to keep dangerous weapons off our streets. In 1989, I represented Stockton in the State Senate when a lone gunman opened fire on a playground at Cleveland Park Elementary School, taking the lives of five school children and wounding 29 others. After hearing from witnesses and first responders, I introduced legislation that would become California’s assault weapons ban – the first of its kind in the nation. This legislation still serves as California’s assault weapons ban and covers AK-47s, AR-15s, and other guns capable of inflicting mass casualties.