Gun Violence Prevention
Over the last decade, more than 1.2 million Americans have been shot and millions have been victims, or witnesses, of other crimes involving a gun. Mass shootings have become far too common with tragedies occurring everywhere from schools and places of worship to concerts. According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, an average of 310 people are injured and 100 people die due to gun violence every day in America. I am deeply concerned with the continued gun violence in our country and I support enacting and enforcing measures to protect innocent people from the terror of gun violence.
During this Congress alone, there have been numerous mass shootings that have shattered families and communities across the country. After each one, Congress holds a moment of silence but without action and meaningful policy change, our moments of silence will just continue to signify inaction. During his time in office President Obama enacted a number of executive actions to combat gun violence in our country and make our communities safer. However, it is ultimately up to Congress to pass long-term reforms and we have failed. When Democrats took control of the House of Representatives, we began voting on legislation to address the gun violence epidemic, and numerous bills passed our chamber with bipartisan support including H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019. None of the bills passed by the House have been considered by the Senate and Speaker McConnell has yet to even schedule a vote on any of the common sense, broadly supported bills that have been introduced or sent to the Senate.
As a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, I am a cosponsor of common sense legislation and I will continue to push my colleagues in the Senate to consider legislation that the House has already passed. Among the legislation I have cosponsored is H.R. 1296, the Assault Weapons Ban, introduced by Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI). This legislation would reinstate the ban on the sale, transfer, manufacturing, and importation of semiautomatic weapons and ammunition feeding devices capable of accepting more than ten rounds, while protecting assault weapons used by members of the military and law enforcement. I am also a cosponsor of H.R. 435, the Gun Violence Research Act, introduced by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), which would authorize research programs to examine policies that reduce gun violence. It is my hope that my colleagues will come together to pass meaningful gun safety reforms because protecting people from gun violence should not be a partisan issue.
To stay updated on recent legislation that I have cosponsored, please continue to check this page.
Cosponsored Legislation
- H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019
- H.R. 1186, the Keep Americans Safe Act
- H.R. 1296, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2019
- H.R. 2708, the Disarm Hate Act
- H.R. 3552, the Unlawful Gun Buyer Alert Act
- H.R. 3553, the Untraceable Firearms Act of 2019
- H.R. 3554, the End Purchase of Firearms by Dangerous Individuals Act of 2019
- H.R. 3606, the High Speed Gunfire Prevention Act
- H.R. 3076, the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2019
- H.R. 687, the Handgun Licensing and Registration Act of 2019
- H.R. 686, the Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act of 2019
- H.R. 1279, the Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act of 2019
- H.R. 435, the National Gun Violence Research Act
- H.R. 2585, the Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act of 2019
More on Gun Violence Prevention
Last week, I joined my colleagues in the House in passing several important pieces of legislation, including an assault weapons ban, a package of investments in domestic semiconductor development and scientific research, a whole-of-government response to droughts and wildfires, and legislation to ensure access to telehealth after the pandemic ends.
Last week, the House of Representatives took several important votes to improve gun safety and address rampant gun violence, as well as to reauthorize Food and Drug Administration programs, strengthen small business apprenticeship programs, and improve the nation’s water infrastructure and flood mitigation, among other bills. I also joined a resolution declaring gun violence a national public health crisis, as well as legislation to support the mental health of students and offer skill building opportunities to teachers.
The devastating reality of gun violence in America is that we can’t grieve the loss of life in one mass shooting before another one takes even more lives. 10 days after an 18-year-old white supremacist killed 10 people in an attack targeting the Black residents of Buffalo, another 18-year-old took the lives of 19 children and 2 teachers at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. As the horror in Uvalde unfolded, victims’ families in Buffalo were preparing to lay their loved ones to rest. This is a uniquely American catastrophe and one that we cannot accept.
This week, I grieved with the rest of the nation as another mass shooting stole the lives of innocent children and urged the Senate to pass background check reforms which have already passed the House of Representatives. I also cosponsored legislation to recognize educator mental health, improve mental health services for LGBTQ+ youth, and include underrepresented communities in clinical trials.
To begin the appropriations process for fiscal year 2023, I shared my funding requests with the House Appropriations Committee. These requests assist the Appropriations Committee in drafting appropriations bills which ultimately fund the government. This year, I led letters requesting funding to address the root causes of irregular migration and support democracy programs in Cuba, as well as co-led a letter with Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) to request robust funding to address the humanitarian and refugee crisis in Venezuela.
(Washington, D.C.)- Today, Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ) released the following statement in response to the President’s State of the Union speech before Congress:
This week, I joined my colleagues in the House of Representatives in passing several pieces of legislation to raise the debt ceiling and prevent the U.S. from defaulting on its debt, recommend holding Mark Meadows in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer a subpoena, address international Islamophobia, and address the ongoing crimes against humanity against Uyghurs in China. In addition, I cosponsored legislation to require safe storage of firearms.
Last week, I joined my colleagues in the House of Representatives in passing a continuing resolution to continue funding the government and prevent a government shutdown. The House also passed legislation to improve the nations cybersecurity and immunization information sharing systems to better rollout nationwide vaccinations. I also signed on to a letter to support a plan to develop wind power plants off the coast of New Jersey.
This week, I joined my colleagues in submitting funding requests for the next fiscal year during what is known as the appropriations process. These requests are sent to the House Committee on Appropriations as they craft this year’s funding bill which will include programs that impact millions of Americans. This newsletter will focus entirely on a few of the funding requests I prioritized this year. I led letters requesting funding for Central America and the Merida Initiative in Mexico, in addition to a letter with Rep.
(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Sires released the following statement after two mass casualty shootings in the last week: