Preventing gun violence in our communities

We need and deserve to be safe from gun violence. Tragically, gun violence has taken countless lives of friends and family members. When in school, students should be able to focus on learning, and not, as one student told me, on finding a safe place to hide in their classroom. Families should feel safe at shopping centers, in their places of worship, and in their neighborhoods.

I support responsible gun ownership, but I also support common sense gun violence prevention measures. Oregon has been a national leader in enacting meaningful gun violence prevention laws, and those measures have saved lives. It is past time for the federal government to enact similar laws to protect people across the country. I joined the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at the U.S. Capitol when they rallied for Congressional action, and as a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, I helped the House pass historic legislation to require universal background checks and close loopholes that make it easier for dangerous people to access firearms. I support getting assault weapons off our streets and closing the “boyfriend loophole” that leaves many domestic violence survivors in danger. More than 100 people in the United States are killed by guns every day, and more than 60 of those people die by suicide. I will continue to advocate for more mental health support and resources for people who are struggling with mental health, including veterans. There is no question that these policies will save lives, and I will also continue fighting for resources and support for communities suffering trauma from gun violence. We can never replace the lives lost to gun violence, but we must support the schools, families, and communities affected.

In 2022, I helped pass into law the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, an important action on gun violence prevention that enhances background checks, encourages states to establish extreme risk protection order laws, and closes dangerous loopholes. This was the first significant gun violence prevention bill to be signed into law in nearly 30 years, and I will never stop fighting to enact additional laws to keep us safe.