U.S. Rep. Lawrence Votes for Commonsense Gun Safety Legislation

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Brenda L. Lawrence, member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, voted for H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act. This legislation will curb gun violence by raising the purchasing age for certain semi-automatic weapons from 18 to 21 years old; cracking down on gun trafficking and straw purchases to get illegal guns off our streets; closing the ghost gun loophole; strengthening safe storage requirements to protect children from accidental shootings; and strengthening bans on outlawing bump stocks and high-capacity magazines for civilian use, as these only make mass shootings more deadly. The House passed the bill by a vote of 223-204.

"Especially after today's heartbreaking Oversight Committee hearing, how could any member of Congress decide to vote against commonsense gun safety legislation? You could feel the anguish, anger, sadness, and trauma from our witnesses today--many of whom have been directly affected by gun violence. The American people don't need any more thoughts and prayers; they need and deserve action," said Rep. Lawrence. "Today, House Democrats are stepping up and showing our country that we aren't going to sit on the sidelines. Today, we voted to pass the Protecting Our Kids Act and change the status quo. And I strongly urge the Senate to pass this legislation. If not now, then when?"

On March 11th, Rep. Lawrence voted to pass a pair of bipartisan gun safety bills including H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 and H.R. 1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021

On April 1st, Rep. Lawrence led a House letter to the CDC Director urging her to prioritize funding projects--including through policy evaluation research--to prevent firearm-related violence in schools.

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