Perlmutter Votes for Commonsense Gun Violence Prevention Bills

Press Release

Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) voted to pass H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and H.R. 1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act, two commonsense gun violence prevention measures to require background checks on all gun sales and close the Charleston Loophole that allowed the hate crime at Mother Emanuel AME Church. In the 116th Congress, the House passed versions of these two bills in a strong, bipartisan way.

"Here in Colorado, we've experienced gun violence tragedies firsthand and know the trauma and devastation they can bring," said Perlmutter. "I have long-supported requiring universal background checks and strengthening the background check system to help prevent dangerous people from obtaining firearms and to make gun violence less easy and less frequent."

These two pieces of legislation include commonsense measures to end gun violence and make background checks universal:

H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act -- which requires a background check for every gun sale or transfer to ensure that individuals already prohibited from gun possession under federal law, such as felons, domestic abusers and those who are considered a danger to themselves or others, are not able to obtain firearms.
H.R. 1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act -- which would end the Charleston Loophole that enabled the horrific hate crime at Mother Emanuel AME Church that killed nine innocent people. The Charleston Loophole currently allows the sale of a firearm to proceed if a background check is not completed within three business days.
These bills have the support of an overwhelming, bipartisan majority of Americans, with more than 90 percent of Americans supporting universal background checks -- including 85 percent of gun-owning households, as well as dozens of leading law enforcement, veterans, local government, public health and other groups such as Major Cities Chiefs Association, VoteVets, Police Executive Research Forum, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the Hispanic American Police Commanders Association and the American Medical Association.

Since 1994, when background checks were first implemented, they have stopped more than 3 million dangerous people from getting guns. In 2017 alone, due to background checks, over 170,000 sales were denied -- 39 percent of them to convicted felons. Every day where background checks are used they stop more than 160 felons and some 50 domestic abusers from buying a gun.

Yet, due to existing loopholes that allow unlicensed gun sellers to sell guns without a background check, the background check system is not working as well as it should, with up to 80 percent of firearms used for criminal purposes currently sold without background checks. The Charleston Loophole alone allows the sale of hundreds of thousands of guns to potentially dangerous individuals each year. Cases of the Charleston Loophole exception are particularly common in domestic violence cases.

As Vice-Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, Perlmutter supports requiring universal background checks, strengthening the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) database, reinstating the federal ban on assault weapons, ensuring federal research into causes of gun violence, and specific legislation such as "No Fly, No Buy" and a ban on bump stocks and other devices which enable semiautomatic assault rifles to function as fully automatic weapons. In addition, Ed has introduced legislation to close the gaps in current federal gun policy by clarifying and expanding existing federal prohibitors related to mental health, substance abuse, history of violence, and other risk factors.

Source