Gun Violence Prevention

Our nation is enduring a gun violence epidemic, and nowhere is this more evident than in Chicago. Sadly, the tragedy of gun violence in America is compounded by another tragedy in Congress: the tragedy of inaction. That’s why I refuse to standby idly while thousands of Americans die each year due to gun violence.  

Ending gun violence in America will require changes in our culture and revisions in our gun laws.  I’m doing my part by supporting legislation requiring mandatory background checks on 100 percent of gun sales; limiting the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; improving the National Instant Background Check System to keep weapons out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill; requiring tougher penalties for criminals caught trafficking guns across state lines into Illinois; directing the Department of Justice study the correlation between domestic violence and mass shootings; and pushing for the ban to be lifted on federal agencies like the CDC from studying gun violence.

No perfect solution exists to end all gun violence, but we know from the experiences of other countries that a combination of small but practical policy solutions can severely reduce it. By enacting commonsense, reasonable gun legislation, Congress can make a difference. But unless the status quo in Congress changes, we will continue to lose countless American lives to gun violence.

President Trump has attacked our city's "carnage," threatening to "send in the Feds" as a means to address gun violence. Not only is this type of language reckless and misguided, it is also a gross overreach of federal power. Gun violence, both in Chicago and across this country, is a national tragedy that requires immediate, substantial, and bipartisan action – not inappropriate threats. 

 
Rep. Quigley proudly has an F rating from the NRA because of his ongoing efforts to strengthen gun violence prevention laws and keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people.

Following a wave of mass shootings where the shooter had a history of domestic violence, Rep. Quigley introduced a bill to require the DOJ to study the link between mass shootings and domestic violence.

   
Rep. Quigley introduced bi-partisan legislation to improve the NICS system to alert law enforement when criminals break the law attempting to acquire a gun.

Rep. Quigley has been a leader on the effort to overturn the ban on federal agencies, like the CDC, from conducting research on gun violence.

Rep. Quigley wrote and op-ed in Crain's Chicago Business about Trump's misled threats to Chicago because of gun violence numbers.