Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019
HR8 and S42 will require Brady background checks for all firearms, which is a position supported by 97% of Americans.
HR8 passed the House!
LWVUS signed the following letter to all members of Congress, along with many other organizations:
“Members of the 116thCongress:
We, the undersigned organizations, strongly urge you to cosponsor and quickly pass H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Check Act, and S 42, the Background Check Expansion Act, to require Brady background checks for all firearm transfers.
In the 25 years since the Brady Law was enacted, more than 3 million prohibited firearm purchases have been prevented. In 2015 alone, an average of 619 individuals per day were deemed by law to be too dangerous to possess a gun and were blocked by this system.
Background checks are conclusively effective and have saved countless lives. However, because only federally licensed firearms dealers are required to conduct these checks, an estimated one in five gun sales or transfers – those conducted by private sellers, including sales online and at gun shows – are completed without a background check. Felons, domestic abusers and other dangerous people have long exploited these gaps in the law, often with deadly consequences.
H.R. 8 and S. 42 will make us all safer by requiring a background check for virtually every firearm sale and transfer. The bills include narrow, reasonable exceptions like transfers among close family members and short-term gun loans among hunters and sport shooters. The legislation does nothing to impede lawful gun purchases, while closing off a wide and well-known avenue for illegal transactions by prohibited, and often dangerous, buyers. And it enjoys the support of 97% of Americans, including large majorities of gun owners and NRA members.
We urge you to act quickly to pass this life-saving legislation.”
Sincerely,
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, LWVUS, and many others.
Now the Senate must pass S42
What should I say? Thank you Senator Warren, and Senator Markey for cosponsoring S42. Work for swift passage of the Background Check Expansion Act and save countless lives.
Senator Elizabeth Warren. www.warren.senate.gov/contact
309 Hart Senate Office B. Washington phone: 202-224-4543
Washington, DC 20510 Springfield phone: 413-788-2690
Senator Ed Markey www.markey.senate.gov/contact
255 Dirksen Senate Office B. Washington phone: 202-224-2742
Washington, DC 20510 Springfield phone: 413-785-4610