Sarbanes Statement on President Obama's Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence in America

Statement

Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) issued the following statement today after President Obama announced executive actions to help keep guns out of the wrong hands by expanding criminal background checks, improving mental health treatment and advancing gun safety technology:

"For too long, the NRA and gun manufacturers have deployed political contributions and high-powered lobbyists to defeat commonsense policies that could reduce gun violence in our communities -- violence that kills more than thirty Americans every single day. The small, but important, steps that President Obama has outlined are an important path forward in making our communities safer. But we still have much more work to do.

"We must close additional loopholes in our background check system, including the so-called gun show loophole. We must also limit the availability of high-capacity magazines and prevent high-powered, military-grade firearms from getting into the hands of those who wish us harm -- including criminals, domestic abusers, the dangerously mentally ill and individuals listed on the terrorist watchlist.

"The public overwhelmingly supports these kinds of gun safety reforms. But it's up to Congress to put public safety first, not the interests and profits of the gun lobby."

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