Doyle Votes to Pass Background Check Bills

Press Release

U.S. Representative Mike Doyle (D-PA-18) announced that he had voted in favor of two pieces of legislation aimed at closing loopholes in the national background check system for gun purchases.

The House passed H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and H.R. 1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act today with Congressman Doyle's support.

"These bills are long overdue," Congressman Doyle said after the vote. "Pittsburgh has seen too much senseless gun violence, and these bills are a commonsense step to ending the epidemic of gun violence in America. These bills will close existing loopholes that allow dangerous weapons to fall into the wrong hands. We need them to help keep our communities safe, prevent violence, and save lives. No one should be able to buy a gun without passing a background check, plain and simple."

H.R. 8 would require a background check for nearly every gun sale or transfer. If signed into law, this bill would ensure that individuals already prohibited from gun possession under federal law, such as felons and domestic abusers, are not able to easily obtain firearms.

Under present law, such criminals are able to bypass background checks by purchasing a gun through unlicensed gun sellers -- people who sell guns online, at gun shows, or person-to-person without a federal dealer's license. Federal law already requires licensed gun dealers to conduct background checks on gun purchasers or transferees; this bill would extend the requirement of background checks to unlicensed gun sellers as well.

H.R. 1446 would close the so-called "Charleston Loophole," which currently allows the sale of a firearm to proceed if a background check is not completed within three business days. While 97 percent of background checks are processed within 3 business days, hundreds of thousands of incomplete background checks enter into "default proceed" status each year. If signed into law, an applicant could request an escalated review by the FBI if a background check had not been completed after the initial 10 business days.

Click here for a summary of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act

Click here for the text of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act

Click here for a summary of H.R. 1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act

Click here for the text of H.R. 1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act

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