Ruppersberger: Life-Saving Gun Safety Reforms "Long Overdue"

Statement

Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger today voted in favor of common sense, life-saving gun safety reforms on the heels of multiple mass shootings that have claimed the lives of innocent Americans, including elementary school students. H.R. 7910, the "Protecting Our Kids Act," will raise the purchasing age for certain semi-automatic weapons and ban bump stocks and high-capacity magazines for civilians, among other measures.

The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives in a 223-204 vote and now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

"Every day, our country bears witness to mass shootings in public spaces: in churches, grocery stores, movie theaters and, horrifically, in elementary school classrooms. Action, overwhelmingly supported by the American public, is long overdue," Congressman Ruppersberger said. "This isn't about taking guns away from anyone. It's about reducing the bloodshed and protecting children who are now at greater risk of dying from gun violence than car accidents or cancer."

H.R. 7910 is a package of multiple different measures to protect American lives, including:

Raising the purchasing age for certain semi-automatic weapons from 18 to 21 years old, which is the current purchasing age for handguns;
Creating new federal offenses for gun trafficking and straw purchases to get illegal guns off our streets;
Expanding existing federal firearms regulations to include ghost guns, which lack serial numbers and are therefore untraceable;
Strengthening safe storage requirements to protect children from accidental shootings;
Outlawing bump stocks, which allow semi-automatic guns to shoot more than one shot with a single pull of the trigger, for civilian use, and;
Banning high-capacity magazines (more than 15 rounds of ammunition) for most civilian use.
Congressman Ruppersberger has long supported, cosponsored and voted in favor of common sense gun safety measures, like universal background checks, background checks for buying ammunition and red flag laws. He has supported banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and has championed funding for violence intervention programs.

In June 2016 -- days after a mass shooting in an Orlando nightclub claimed the lives of 49 people and wounded 53 more -- Congressman Ruppersberger joined dozens of colleagues in an historic "sit in" on the House floor to demand ra vote on legislation to address gun violence. Since, there have been scores of other mass shootings across the country, with tragedies in Uvalde, Texas, Buffalo, New York, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, within the past month alone. Nearly 170 people have died in mass shootings inside American schools since 1999's Columbine massacre.

"Under Democratic majorities, the House has passed many reforms and we stand ready to do more," Congressman Ruppersberger said. "We need the Senate and our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to do their part. To take a stand against the gun lobby. To finally say, "enough is enough.'"

The House on Thursday is expected to vote on H.R. 3277, the "Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act." That bill allows family members and law enforcement to file petitions in federal courts requesting the removal of firearms from people who are believed to present an extreme risk of harm to themselves or others, with due process.

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