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“IMPACT OF GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the in the House section section on pages H3940-H3944 on July 25.
The Department is one of the oldest in the US, focused primarily on law enforcement and the federal prison system. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, detailed wasteful expenses such as $16 muffins at conferences and board meetings.
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IMPACT OF GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 9, 2023, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the honorable gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick).
General Leave
Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order hour.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Ms. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to coanchor the CBC Special Order hour, along with my distinguished colleague, Representative Jackson.
For the next 60 minutes, members of the CBC have an opportunity to speak directly to the American people on gun violence prevention and public safety, an issue of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus, Congress, constituents, and all Americans.
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford).
Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-
McCormick for her tremendous leadership and also Congressman Jonathan Jackson. The two have been great co-chairs for our Special Order hour, a time when the Congressional Black Caucus comes to the floor to discuss important issues affecting all of America.
Today, my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus are here to recognize the impact that gun violence has on Black communities and communities all around our country.
In recent years, our Nation has bore witness to horrific acts of gun violence in our communities, from the racist murder of nine parishioners at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, to the attack at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, to police-involved shootings of unarmed Black men, women, and children.
Time and again, when these tragic events happen, we hear politicians in Washington offer their thoughts and prayers, but we know that thoughts and prayers are simply not enough. They are not enough to end the violence that traumatizes entire communities and rips family members and friends away from their loved ones. They are not enough to end the cycles of violence created by the systemic and structural disadvantages of generations of racism and disinvestment in our communities. We must do more than offer thoughts and prayers alone.
In order to solve this crisis, we must first understand the problem before us. Data shows that Black Americans are disproportionately impacted by gun violence in our country. Specifically, Black Americans experience 12 times the gun homicides, 18 times the gun assault injuries, and nearly 3 times the fatal police shootings of White Americans.
On top of this, we know that these guns are not manufactured in our communities, which is why we believe gun manufacturers should be held accountable, and those who allow access to guns should be held accountable.
Alarmingly, despite the fact that Black boys and men account for just 6 percent of the total population, they comprise more than half of all gun homicide victims in our Nation.
Madam Speaker, and to the chairs, I know personally the effects of losing a loved one to gun violence. My father was shot and killed when I was 19 years old, a freshman in college.
I remember getting the call that so many loved ones fear getting, and, in serving the district, the call that so many of my constituents tell me that they experience, the call that says that you don't get to say good-bye, that you don't get to tell your loved one once again that you love them, that they don't have the opportunity to see you, as my father didn't have with me, to finish my education, to raise three children, to serve my community, and to be here on the floor of the House of Representatives speaking about the issue of gun safety, not just in my community but in communities all across the country.
These are problems that can be attributed to a number of factors, including the combination of weak gun laws as well as systemic racial inequities, including unequal access to safe housing, inadequate educational and employment opportunities, and a history of disinvestment in public infrastructure and services in communities of color.
To remedy the ongoing issue of gun violence, we must continue to advance policies aimed at saving lives and making our communities safer.
In the last Congress, the Congressional Black Caucus was instrumental in the House, passing the most significant piece of gun reform legislation in nearly 30 years with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was signed into law by President Biden.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act took meaningful steps to protect our children, keep our schools safe, and reduce the overall threat of gun violence around our country by extending background checks for firearm purchases, clarifying licensing requirements, funding red flag laws and crisis intervention programs, and weakening the boyfriend loophole.
This landmark piece of legislation was a positive step toward curbing gun violence in our communities, but we need to take more action to reimagine public safety, including holding law enforcement officers more accountable, using public health resources to address mental health crises, and ensuring all communities are well resourced with access to job opportunities, affordable childcare, and social services that improve quality of life.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues on the Congressional Black Caucus, as well as the partners of nonprofit organizations like Giffords, Brady, and Everytown, for their tireless work to advance safer communities and to save lives.
To the people who have made this Congress act last Congress and who will demand that we act now, we know that public safety is not a red or blue issue. It is an American issue.
There is no reason that in the most powerful country in the world, we can't do more to save lives, reduce crime, and break the cycle of violence. Our thoughts and prayers are simply not enough. We need action.
Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick for her leadership on these issues and Congressman Jackson. They experience these tragedies every day in the communities that they both serve.
Madam Speaker, you have the commitment of the Congressional Black Caucus and its members that we will continue to advance safety for all of our communities.
{time} 2000
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick).
Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a voice for Floridians whose lives have been tragically cut short by the gun violence epidemic that is ravaging our communities.
In 2020, an alarming statistic emerged. Guns became the leading cause of death among children and teenagers in the United States, claiming more lives than car accidents, cancer, or drug overdoses.
This year alone, the United States has experienced over 400 mass shootings. My home State of Florida accounts for at least 20 of these. South Florida is no stranger to gun violence. Over what should have been a peaceful Memorial Day weekend this year, a total of nine people were shot on the Hollywood boardwalk. Four of them were kids.
Yet, in the face of these incidents, we have witnessed a persistent denial among Republicans. In Florida, the extreme GOP State legislature is making it easier, not harder, for individuals to purchase guns.
It is maddening to watch as lives are needlessly taken and families are torn apart. How have we let this become our new normal? How have we not curbed this epidemic? How have we not acted?
We have a collective responsibility to build upon the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and implement commonsense measures to keep weapons out of the hands of those who pose a danger to others. The bipartisan law is essential in curbing the gun violence epidemic and safeguarding our loved ones, but we cannot stop there.
Now is the time for us to unite across party lines and work collectively to find real solutions. We must prioritize the safety of our communities by implementing responsible gun control measures, providing mental health resources, and dismantling the cycle of violence.
Let us seize the opportunity to create a safe America where all families can thrive without the looming shadow of gun violence. I ask all members of this caucus and all Members of the Florida delegation to stand with us to make sure that we can end this gun violence epidemic.
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).
Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for the opportunity to speak tonight on an issue that paralyzes this Nation.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss and address our country's gun violence epidemic and promote the commonsense solutions from House Democrats that would save lives nationwide.
This year, our country has suffered more than 400 mass shootings and mass murders--400--and gun violence has killed or injured more than 40,000 Americans. This number includes more than 3,500 children or teens. In America, gun violence happens in grocery stores, elementary schools, college campuses, and private homes. That is a national tragedy that demands immediate action.
My bill, the Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act, would use Federal grants to get guns out of the hands of criminals. It would reduce gun violence and make communities safer, and it is one solution of many in Congress that we have offered to date.
House Democrats have introduced or will introduce at least 54 bills to reduce gun violence across the country. If passed, they would make gun owners and dealers accountable for their weapons. They would keep weapons out of the hands of criminals, and they would help law enforcement officials catch criminals who use guns to commit crimes.
For example, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2023 would require that every sale of a firearm include a background check. It is supported by 90 percent of Democrats and Republicans in Congress.
The Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2023 would provide the time necessary to conduct an effective background check on gun owners.
The Assault Weapons Ban of 2023 would stop the sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of assault weapons. These are weapons of war and need to be removed from our streets.
The Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act of 2023 would ban bump stocks in the same manner as assault weapons. Bump stocks are designed to increase the firing rate of guns. It makes dangerous guns more lethal. They have no place in a civil society, Madam Speaker.
Ethan's Law is a bill that would set Federal standards for safe gun storage. It would decrease the chance of a family member dying from the use of an unsecured firearm.
The Pause for Gun Safety Act would require a 7-day waiting period before gun purchasers can possess their weapons.
The Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act of 2023 would require photo identification before the purchase of gun ammunition online.
The Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2023 would establish an Office of Gun Violence Prevention in the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Policy. This bill would allow the country to finally create a national gun violence prevention strategy.
The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act would remove the dubious legal protections for gun manufacturers and possibly make them liable for the harms and damage they inflict on communities across this country.
The Ammunition Identification Act would require ammunition to have serial numbers. Then law enforcement officials could use those numbers to catch possible criminals based on gun ownership.
The Untraceable Firearms Act of 2023 would regulate the production and sale of ghost guns. These guns are made in secret and cannot be traced, and they are a threat to every community in America.
These bills represent commonsense solutions that Americans want to protect their families and loved ones from gun violence. We need to act on my bill and the others like it to create a safer country. The longer we wait, the more lives we lose, and one day it could come to your door.
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. McBath).
Mrs. McBATH. Madam Speaker, I thank Representatives Jackson and Cherfilus-McCormick and the Congressional Black Caucus for convening this Special Order hour this evening to speak, in particular, about gun safety.
This past weekend, the United States surpassed 400 mass shootings in just this year alone. We have seen nearly double the number of tragedies than the amount of days that we have lived this year. It is an unmistakable reality that this grave challenge has only grown. Until we are fully dealing with this very dangerous gun culture that we are living in, it will continue to grow.
No amount of condolences will ever rectify the grief of loved ones. Week after week after week, I talk to survivors like myself who are crying out to this body. When will we act?
If faith without work is dead, then we must know that when thoughts and prayers end, meaningful action must begin.
My Federal red flag law bill mirrors a commonsense measure that is already in place in many States around the country, actually Republican States. It has allowed for loved ones to work with law enforcement to get guns out of the hands of those loved ones or people that they deem in crisis, and it will truly help those who see the first signs of tragedy, and they can help to prevent it.
These are effective laws that stop gun violence. We know that. Studies have proven that. Statistics have shown that in both Republican and Democratic States around the country. The American people are just calling on us to act. They are tired of waiting for us to act. They are calling on us to save lives.
Last year, President Biden did sign into law, last summer, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. It is the most comprehensive gun safety legislation that this body has enacted in decades. We have been investing in State red flag laws, funding for States that want to enact these lifesaving measures.
Community violence intervention funding, I think everyone can agree we have got to get to the root causes of the violence. You pull out the root. You deal with the foundational problems that are causing the violence which causes gun violence.
We were able through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to define who is a bona fide gun seller. We were able to make it a Federal crime for gun trafficking and straw purchases. We were able to secure funding for mental health for our public schools but also for law enforcement. It expanded background checks for gun sales.
I have been doing this work in gun safety for the last 10 years since I lost my own son unnecessarily. Statistics have shown us again and again and again, and surveys have shown us again and again, that 97 percent of the American public--and this is including law-abiding gun owners--know that we have a public health crisis with the gun culture in this country, and they believe that we must place some commonsense measures on our existing gun laws.
Victims such as myself, survivors, live in daily angst just waiting for this body to act, waiting for us to do more. We are living in a violent culture. There are no safe spaces in America anymore. Survivors continue to live with the pain of having lost their loved ones unnecessarily and knowing that they, too, at some point in time may also be a victim of gun violence.
More guns in America do not make us safer. That is a misnomer. That is not the truth. Commonsense gun safety measures with respect to putting public safety over profit by our gun manufacturers and gun sellers, that is what the American people are crying out for.
In this country, a major industrialized nation, you are 25 times more likely to die here in the United States than anywhere else in the world. I pray every single day that this body will put their oath to protect and serve over the profit of this extremist gun culture that we are living in.
{time} 2015
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank the Honorable Congresswoman McBath from the great State of Georgia for her comments.
It is now my privilege to yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter).
Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague from Illinois, Representative Jackson, for his incredible leadership in governing this Special Order hour.
This June, we had the anniversary of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. I proudly voted for this bill because the gun violence epidemic affects all of us daily in our country. There is still so much work to be done--365 days later--as we have seen an extreme increase in mass shootings this summer.
Our friends, our neighbors, and loved ones are living in fear every day as they go to shopping malls, movies theaters, schools, grocery stores, concerts, and yes, even places of worship.
I can go on and on but as of today, the Gun Violence Archive reports that the United States has experienced some 400 shootings already. That is just this year alone. Countless lives lost, communities devastated and families that will never be the same.
Where does it stop? We all have to take a deep, deep inventory of ourselves and ask the question: Where does it stop?
To be clear, none of the actions that we suggest, promote or introduce are efforts to diminish the value of your constitutional rights.
To challenge the Second Amendment is not our effort. We recognize and support the importance of the Second Amendment. But we also recognize the importance of making sure that we have safe communities; communities that are safe for all people, not just Democrats, safe for Republicans, Democrats, Independents and others, for people of all races, backgrounds, creeds, religions, beliefs, for everyone.
This is an American issue. This is an issue that affects our communities and, I dare say, and I dare pray, that if this has not touched your community yet, that it doesn't. Unfortunately, if statistics bear true, it is a matter of time before it reaches, yes, your community, your neighborhood, your church, your school, your child.
We have the power to change that. Collectively, Republican and Democrat, we have the power to change that. We have the power to say no more. We have the power to stand against the profits from the National Rifle Association and say: Continue to manufacture legal weapons, but make sure that we have sensible gun measures.
Continue to profit from the paraphernalia that comes with it, but let's make sure that we have sensible gun measures to protect our communities.
Yes, we have the power. It is within us. Let us not wait until we find ourselves leaning over a coffin crying because we have lost someone. Let the lives that have already been lost be the last, so there are no more mothers like my dear friend, Lucy McBath; so there are no more sons like my dear friend, Steven Horsford; like the so many others that are out there, parents, loved ones, siblings, friends, fathers, mothers that have lost their loved ones to senseless gun violence.
Let us, together, demonstrate to the American people that we are bigger, we are better, we are smarter, and we are stronger, and we will make a difference. We should not have to live like this.
I implore my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to come to the table, come to the table, putting aside our partisan politics. Come to the table with the understanding that we care. Come to the table with the understanding that we can, that we can make a difference for all of us.
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank the Honorable Congressman Carter from the great State of Louisiana for those remarks.
Madam Speaker, today I stand in solidarity with my colleagues in this Chamber and with citizens across this Nation in condemning the pervasive violence that has taken root in America.
The scourge of violence has become an epidemic. Regrettably, the depth of its impact and its implications for our society's fabric remain inadequately grasped.
We must recognize that violence is not solely defined as the act of wielding a gun. The violence that engulfs our Nation goes beyond the confines of weaponry.
By the time hands are raised in aggression, the cultural and judicial strains have already transformed fellow citizens into adversaries. The staggering reality of 400 million guns in a Nation with 300 million citizens underscores a deep-seated issue.
It is hardly shocking then, in such an environment, that individuals increasingly view one another as foes rather than fellow countrymen. The prevailing political and cultural mood of our Nation is manipulated by the insidious use of fear.
Some of the most profound acts of violence in this country have been executed not just by those with firearms but by those exploiting fear to amplify their privilege and magnify their influence.
Is it not an act of violence to belittle 400 years of African-
American resilience? A battle we should never have had to fight, a battle no one should be forced to endure.
Yet, in a single afternoon, the Supreme Court chose to undercut what took 400 years for the Black community to establish, comprehensive policies that recognize and affirm our place against practices that they aimed to dismiss. Isn't this violence too?
How can it not be considered violence when Harvard University is told it cannot use race as a criterion for admission, but it sees no restriction placed on legacy or wealth?
The Supreme Court seems to suggest that being Black doesn't inherently carry merit, but being affluent certainly does.
Perhaps a fellow Member here can enlighten me. When have the wealthy ever been disadvantaged in this Nation, that they needed further benefits because of their wealth? Can anyone refer me to such a time in history?
The Supreme Court seemed to believe that in a mere 50 years, we have surpassed the need to factor in race, yet overlooked the fact that privilege has played a larger role in Ivy League admissions than race ever has.
Where in the majority decision did the Court address the inherent advantages of unearned privilege?
Where is the dedication to meritocracy in such a stance?
Yet, it is revealing that many champion the cause of equality if it does not level the playing field much in favor of true equality.
In this Nation, uniquely certain demographics perceive true equality as an affront to their status.
For countless Black and Brown individuals witnessing the impact of this flawed ruling, the past fortnight has felt like a period of systemic aggression.
When discussing violence in America, our focus shouldn't solely be on the acts committed by those who misuse firearms. Florida's Governor didn't need a firearm to ban books and dismiss the educational value of African-American history.
The Florida Board of Education didn't wield a gun when they sidelined African-American studies in their advanced placement curriculum. Recently, we were dismayed to learn that Florida's newly approved middle school syllabus had the audacity to suggest that slavery was somehow advantageous for Black individuals.
In 2023, it is disheartening to note that in Florida, an educational curriculum was sanctioned by those brazen enough to insinuate that slavery could be deemed beneficial in any manner. There has been silence by so many in this body. This silence is tantamount to violence.
Those who sanctioned this content attempted to defend their stance, asserting that slavery taught Black individuals skills like agriculture, painting, carpentry, blacksmithing, tailoring, and transportation.
This emphasizes the importance of lawmakers fully understanding the laws they create. Had they read some of the very literature they hastily sought to ban, they would have recognized the sheer absurdity of such claims.
Black civilizations were the architects behind the pyramids. The Fertile Crescent of the Nile Valley stands testament to their prowess in civil engineering and agricultural innovation.
Timbuktu houses one of the world's earliest and most renowned universities.
A full two millennia before Hippocrates, Imhotep was already pioneering medical practices and documenting them.
African civilizations were the crucible for philosophy, science, poetry, and monotheistic religions.
How could a cadre of ill-informed, unenlightened, narrow-minded, and archaic policymakers in Florida presume to suggest that Black individuals required the shackles of slavery to grasp shoemaking?
How deeply misguided must one be to suggest that absent slavery, Black artistry would be nonexistent, when Picasso drew inspiration from modernist art from African masks?
To audaciously claim that Black individuals learned about transportation through slavery, ignoring the fact that they navigated the Congo's waters well before Europeans even embarked on their maiden voyages, is pure folly.
Slavery served to starkly remind Black individuals how America often fell short of its proclaimed values. It underscored the bitter truth that one could be despised without the slightest effort to understand their history or heritage.
To anyone who cannot see the inherent harm in teaching young Black students that slavery was somehow a boon, you are sorely mistaken about the essence of institutional and educational violence. What Governor DeSantis did was educational violence.
To shed light on some historical facts, according to records, Governor Ron DeSantis' great-grandmother landed on American shores in February 1917. She arrived in New York, eager to embrace her new identity as an Italian American, and she was fully entitled to.
Regardless of her great-grandson's current disposition, she undoubtedly contributed to this Nation, and her contribution was as pivotal as anyone else's.
But let me also remind you that the first Africans came to America in 1619, landing in Jamestown, Virginia--298 years separate 1619 from 1917, 298 years.
Yet, we have a Governor in Florida, a descendent of those who arrived nearly 3 centuries after my ancestors, presuming to dictate my understanding of the African-American experience in this country.
How dare you, Governor DeSantis. You are absolutely a disgrace. No Ron-DeSantis-come-lately will tell Black people the value of our contributions to America.
That is why all of us on this side of the aisle are elated to see Madam Vice President of the United States take the fight for Black history directly to Florida.
Thank you, Madam Vice President Kamala Harris for speaking out against ridiculous claims being made by the Florida Board of Education.
Across this Nation, individuals with a sense of justice commend Vice President Harris for her unwavering stand for truth and righteousness.
Yet, this is adversity we face. Firearms merely represent the latest form of hostility directed at Black and Brown communities. Over 400 mass shootings have occurred in 2023, and this year isn't over yet.
Discussing the glaring imbalance of having 100 million more firearms than we have citizens, while not addressing 25 million American school-
age children who can't read is an incomplete picture. The link is apparent. Children lacking literacy skills may become adults more prone to resort to crime, potentially involving guns.
If we are going to have a serious debate about violence in America, then we must be willing to talk about this issue at every level.
When the Supreme Court said it was legal for a website designer to deny LGBTQ people services, what kind of violence did that do to the LGBTQ community? What kind of psychological, emotional, if not spiritual violence did that decision bring to bear in the lives of Black and Brown people?
{time} 2030
I firmly stand with those who say that we need a national solution to solve a national problem of gun violence, but I challenge all of us not to view this issue so narrowly.
Gun violence stands at the intersection of race, poverty, and class, and needs to be understood in this way.
We cannot become so enamored with the effects of the bullet that we forget the economics of the gun. The root of the violence isn't merely in the act of pulling the trigger, but in the lived experiences of those who resort to such extremes.
The Biden-Harris administration's success in enacting the first substantial gun laws in nearly three decades is commendable. With executive orders, President Biden has significantly addressed the gun crisis.
Yet, even in a scenario where guns are scarce, the ramifications of America's inherent violence will persist as it stems from prejudice and intolerance. This kind of violence, Madam Speaker, of which I speak, is the progeny of fear. It is the direct and lamentable offspring of what happens when people use revenge to play games with the resentment of White, working-class people. This kind of violence cannot be arrested and merely thrown in jail.
Regrettably, it cannot be legislated out of the hearts and minds of people who use it to make a name for themselves. Once you allow your politics to become sufficiently murderous, the kind of social evil it produces can never be truly contained.
What is today a conversation about the inequities associated with race will tomorrow become the first line of a sad eulogy written about the American Dream. This is what we have tried to get America to see.
The willingness to mistreat Black history means that there are people living among us who are more than willing to mishandle American history as a whole.
So let us ultimately deal with every form of violence in America. Systemic cruelty, like the violence in the streets, destroys the lives and tears families apart.
Judicial roughness is no less a threat to Black children than the specter of gang violence and all illegal guns being used to destroy Black bodies without justification or remorse.
Donald Trump openly taught us what political brutality can do to the moral fiber of a Nation that has slowly begun to forget its constitutional ideals. While it is altogether fitting to talk about gang violence in Chicago, murders in Memphis, and mass shootings in Texas, don't forget to talk about the kind of economic violence being visited upon Black families this country sees every day. The members of the Congressional Black Caucus will always mention it.
We will always talk about it because our country's future depends upon an honest assessment of who we are and what it is that we owe to one another. To truly end violence in our Nation, it is not enough to just regulate guns; we must also address and rectify America's deep-
rooted issues with privilege, power, and hatred.
Addressing one issue without the other is tackling an issue that will not be secure. We must render our efforts as effective so that we will be a blessed Nation.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, I rise today because every year, on average, 36,000 Americans are killed by guns, which is equivalent to the population of many Ohio cities. We must do more to close the loopholes and advance sensible gun reform legislation to end this epidemic in America.
And speaking of Ohio, where I am from and represent, according to the Giffords Law Center's annual gun scorecard grades Ohio at an `F'. As the Congresswoman representing Ohio's Third Congressional District, this is something I am not proud of.
Currently at the state level, Ohio has no universal background checks, no assault weapons restrictions, no ban on large capacity magazines, no waiting periods, no child access prevention laws, no gun owner licensing or registration requirements, no extreme risk protection orders, no limit on the number of guns that can be bought at once, and also lacks most domestic violence gun laws.
Easy gun access encourages the increased prevalence of firearms in our communities. As someone who deeply values the families and communities I serve, one of my top priorities is keeping them safe.
I stand proud to be a part of that push for necessary reform as a cosponsor of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, which would establish checks on the transfer of firearms between private parties and prohibits the transfer of a firearm if a preliminary background check has not been conducted. I am also a cosponsor of the Assault Weapons Ban Act and a number of other sensible gun violence prevention measures.
However, we must push further and look to reform historical systemic disparities by investing in community-based violence intervention policies that rectify injustices in our policing, education, and residential segregation and racial bias.
More than one in four fatal police shootings involves a Black victim, even though Black people make up nearly 14 percent of the United States population.
The time for action is now. As members of Congress, we have an obligation to protect the citizens we represent and be proactive in preventing harm to all Americans.
I urge my colleagues on the other side to come together and set aside partisan differences before it's too late. We owe it to the victims of gun violence; we owe it to our constituents. My fellow CBC members have already started answering this call as we have introduced over 17 sensible gun reform and community safety bills in the 118th Congress alone.
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