Issue Position: Gil's Gun Violence Prevention Plan

Issue Position

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION
As your Congressman, Gil will stand up to the corporate gun lobby and support legislation to keep our communities safe.

This year, through the courageous efforts of Douglas High School students in Parkland, FL., the NRA has lost support among major corporations and Republican leaders in Congress have been embarrassed for taking blood money from the corporate gun lobby.

As the representative of California's 39th District, Gil will build upon the efforts of those admirable Parkland students and he'll fight to pass long overdue gun policy reforms. Gil believes it's not enough to simply embrace gun violence prevention, he will fight to expand background check requirements, ban assault weapons, oppose Concealed Carry Reciprocity, repeal the Dickey Amendment, and take other measures to keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals, domestic terrorists, and those with mental challenges.

BACKGROUND CHECKS
It's no secret, background checks work.

That's why Gil will support legislation that expands background checks to all gun sales, which prevents felons, domestic abusers and those with mental challenges from having access to guns.

CLOSING THE GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE
The so-called "Gun Show Loophole" has lessened the effectiveness of background checks. Thousands and thousands of guns find their way on the streets through "no questions asked" sales taking place at gun shows and over the Internet. Gil will support bipartisan bills, such as H.R. 1217, that would close the "gun show loophole" for good and make our community safer.

SUPPORTING WAITING PERIODS
A waiting period of just a few days can save almost 1000 lives, according to a study by the National Academy of Sciences. More than 33,000 people die in gun-related incidents each year in the United States. Even a short "cooling off" period can prevent a gun purchaser from doing harm to themselves or others with a gun. Gil supports waiting periods as a common-sense measure, which doesn't prevent sales to purchasers who passed background checks.

RENEWING THE FEDERAL ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN
Shooters using assault weapons with high capacity magazines were responsible for the deadly mass shootings at Douglas High School in Parkland, Las Vegas, Orlando, Sutherland Springs, Aurora, and Sandy Hook. In 2004, the Federal Assault Weapons Ban expired. The law prohibited the manufacture, transfer, and possession of semi-automatic assault weapons.

Gil supports H.R. 5087 "The Assault Weapons Ban of 2018" which would prohibit the sale, transfer, production and importation of the following: any high-capacity ammunition feeding device that could hold more than 10 rounds, semi-automatic rifles and handguns with military-style features that accepts a detachable magazine, or with a fixed magazine that can hold more than 10 rounds, semi-automatic shotguns with military-style features, and 205 specifically-named and listed firearms.

SUPPORTING THE BAN ON BUMP STOCKS
The Las Vegas shooter used a bump stock attachment on an assault weapon to kill 58 people and injure 500 others. Gil would support a ban on bump stocks and other mechanisms that can be used to convert a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon.

SUPPORTING NO FLY, NO BUY
Recent mass shootings have revived interest in the failed 2016 "No Fly, No Buy" legislation. Gil would support a House bill similar to the bipartisan Senate "Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act" that would deny the sale of a firearm to individuals on the "no-fly" terrorist watch list. "If we suspect someone is a terrorist and too dangerous to fly on a plane, then it's common sense not to allow that person to purchase a gun," said Gil Cisneros.

OPPOSING THE CONCEALED CARRY RECIPROCITY ACT

Not only are Republicans blocking attempts to pass common sense gun violence prevention, but they are also proactively pushing extreme legislation, such as H.R. 38 "The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act." H.R. 38 would force California to recognize the concealed carry laws of other states. This would allow out-of-state domestic abusers and even violent criminals to carry a concealed firearm into California. Law Enforcement agencies across the nation have denounced this bill because it puts our lives in danger. Gil will stand with our community and with the men and women in uniform who protect us every day and he will oppose any attempts to move concealed carry reciprocity forward.

REPEALING THE DICKEY AMENDMENT
For more than two decades, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been prohibited from using federal funding to study gun violence and prevention due to the Dickey Amendment to the 1996 omnibus spending bill. Many feel that this amendment has been misinterpreted, including its author. With shootings and massacres becoming an epidemic in our communities, Gil believes there is a growing need for the CDC to study the relationship between gun violence and public health and he will fight to repeal the Dickey Amendment.

ENACTING ERPO "RED FLAG" LAWS
Gil supports enacting ERPO (Extreme Risk Protection Order) legislation known sometimes as a "Red Flag" law. These laws allow family members and law enforcement to seek court permission to temporarily remove guns from a person in crisis before they can pose a significant danger to themselves or others. This legislation would empower family members who see behavioral "red flags" from letting a personal crisis escalate into a mass shooting or gun suicide.

Raising the Age Limit
Gil applauds the Walmart and Kroger grocery chain decision to no longer sell firearms or ammunition to those under the age of 21. This would bring into line the muddled legislation that makes it easier to buy an automatic weapon than a handgun. Gil would support legislation to make this a federal law.

CLOSING THE BOYFRIEND LOOPHOLE:
Studies have made it clear that there is a disturbing link between domestic violence and gun violence. Because of this, Congress passed a law in the 1990's, the "Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban," that made it illegal for people convicted of domestic violence to purchase or possess a firearm. But, the law only applies to those who have been married, live together, or have children together. The law does not include domestic violence abusers who are in a relationship, but do not fall under one of those categories.

This loophole, known as the "Boyfriend Loophole," allows for convicted domestic violence abusers to purchase or possess firearms if they are the boyfriend and do not live with the victim This loophole must be closed if we are going to keep victims safe from gun violence. Too often, victims of domestic violence have been killed by guns because the abuser falls under this loophole. In Congress, Gil will support a bill that closes this loophole and protects all domestic violence victims from gun violence.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Not that long ago, the 39th District was left in shock and fear after a domestic terror attack was carried out in our own backyard, leaving over a dozen innocent people dead. In Congress, Gil will make sure that no American has to go through the same tragedy that our beautiful community went through just a few short years ago.

Republicans in Congress who are beholden to the NRA refuse to even discuss common-sense policies that could save the lives of hundreds of Americans. Gil will fight to ensure that Congress is protecting all Americans, not just the gun lobby.

Gil understands the importance of protecting all of our rights as Americans, including the Second Amendment, but he believes Congress must do everything it can to end the epidemic of gun violence. Gil believes Americans should feel safe every time they choose to go to a concert, or a movie, a nightclub, or a school.

As your Congressman, Gil will fight to ensure that every American feels safe.

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