CONGRESSMAN DEFAZIO VOTES TO PASS THE PROTECTING OUR KIDS ACT TO INCREASE GUN SAFETY

Press Release

Today, Representative Peter DeFazio (OR-04) voted in support of H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act, a package of commonsense gun safety bills that would address the tragic rise in the occurrence of mass shootings and help save lives. 

"I'm proud to cast my vote in support of the Protecting Our Kids Act which would do that very thing: help protect our kids from the epidemic of gun violence in this country. Mass shootings have become a uniquely American event, and it's beyond time that Congress takes action to enact change and help save lives. Today, the House has taken strong action and I implore my colleagues in the Senate to find the courage to do the same," said Rep. DeFazio. "This package of bills contains critical provisions that the American people largely support such as outlawing high-capacity magazines and raising the purchasing age of semiautomatic weapons from 18 to 21. Many of the worst mass shootings in our country were committed by people under the age of 21, including the shooting at Thurston High School which occurred just two miles from my home in Springfield, Oregon. We must evolve our laws to address the needs of our communities, neighbors, and families today. Today's vote on the Protecting Our Kids Act is a crucial step in the right direction."

The Protecting Our Kids Act contains provisions that would: 

Raise the purchasing age for semi-automatic weapons from 18 to 21 years old (Title 1)
Crack down on gun trafficking and straw purchases to get illegal guns off of our streets (Title 2)
Subject "ghost gun" purchases to background check requirements (Title 3)
Strengthen commonsense safe storage requirements to protect children and others from accidental shootings (Title 4)
Permanently close the bump stock loophole (Title 5)
Outlaw high-capacity magazines (Title 6)
Require an annual report of demographic data of those determined to be ineligible to purchase guns (Title 7)
According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), guns have become the number one killer of children in America. The recent shooting in Ulvade, Texas, marked the 27th school shooting in our country this year alone.

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