Foster Statement on Bipartisan House Vote to Pass the Protecting Our Kids Act

Washington, D.C. – Tonight, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting Our Kids Act, a package of critical, common sense gun safety measures:

“The mass shootings we’ve seen over the past few weeks – at a grocery store in Buffalo, a medical clinic in Oklahoma, and an elementary school in Texas – are more than heartbreaking. They have highlighted the extent to which political dysfunction has hurt our nation and failed our people.

“Tonight, I was proud to vote for common sense measures to curb the gun violence epidemic that has been allowed to shatter too many communities, including communities right here in our own district, for far too long. The American people are demanding that their elected leaders take substantive actions to stop senseless mass shootings and keep guns out of the hands of people that shouldn’t have them. This new package of legislation includes measures that are supported by broad majorities of Americans, including raising the minimum age to buy a semi-automatic weapon, cracking down on gun trafficking and ghost guns, outlawing bump stocks and high-capacity magazines, and strengthening gun storage requirements to protect children from accidental shootings.

“Every American deserves the right to live life free from the fear of gun violence. As elected representatives, we have a duty to address the problems our constituents sent us here to tackle. Chief among them is gun violence that kills over 40,000 people each year, injures over 100,000, and is the leading cause of death for children in America.

“I call on my colleagues in the Senate to put partisanship aside and move forward on sensible reforms that will save lives.”   

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