Blunt Rochester Statement on the Passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
Statement
Today, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) issued the following statement after the House voted in favor of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a historic piece of gun violence prevention legislation.
"After nearly thirty years of gridlock, horrific mass shootings, countless innocent lives lost, and heartbreak after heartbreak, members from both sides of the aisle came together to find common ground and crafted a gun violence prevention package to make our communities safer. With measures such as over $750 million in funding to incentivize states to enact red flag laws, closing the "boyfriend loophole," cracking down on straw purchases, and enacting an enhanced review process for those under 21 to purchase guns, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act will help us save lives and curb gun violence in America.
"Crucially, the bill contains $2 billion in funding for anti-violence programs, including $250 million in community violence intervention programs. The bill more than quadruples funding for a new, public-health focused grant program, based on a bipartisan bill that I co-lead with Representative Horsford (D-NV-4) called the Break the Cycle of Violence Act that is evidence-based and designed to reduce the gun violence that is plaguing communities across the country. Delaware organizations and advocates are already serving as model for these programs, using their resources to go into communities to address the symptoms of violence permeating throughout and address the root causes of that violence. The bill also includes funding for mental health services, including my bipartisan bill, the TIKES Act, which will improve and increase access to telehealth services for those with Medicaid and CHIP to help combat the rising mental health crisis.
"While the final package is not as all-encompassing as I had hoped, it is historic, meaningful, and most importantly, very real progress that will make a difference in our everyday lives. I'm proud to support this historic bill and look forward to the President swiftly signing it into law."
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