Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) received the Legislative Advocacy Award from the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence for his work in Congress pursuing policies that promote common-sense gun control and safer neighborhoods across the country.
"It is an honor to be recognized and I thank the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence for the work they do each and every day to keep our communities free of gun violence," said Quigley. "It is vital to the safety of our neighborhoods, as well as our national security that we start enforcing the laws on the books, by closing the gun show loophole and preventing suspected terrorists from buying weapons. We also have to invest more in proven, community-based solutions to reduce violence and give our children a chance to live in peace."
In his 18 months in Congress, Quigley has emerged as a national advocate on sensible firearms legislation. He recently held a Judiciary Committee forum in Chicago on the Gun Show Loophole, a lapse in federal law that allows private gun dealers to conduct sales without performing a background check. Quigley also led the effort to submit a "friends of the court' brief to the Supreme Court on behalf of Chicago's gun ban. In addition, he has called for a reauthorization of the Assault Weapons Ban and regularly speaks on the House floor about the need for gun laws that protect citizens.
The ceremony was held at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Chicago. The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence is the largest state-wide organization in the country working to prevent devastation caused by firearms. It was founded in 1975 over concern about the consequences of handgun proliferation and availability.