Dear Mr. Codrea:
Thank you for getting in touch with me about firearm-related legislation. I appreciate you sharing your views.
Mass shootings in America have become far too common, including right here in Ohio, in Dayton's Oregon District. I support passing commonsense gun safety protections and look forward to working on passing gun safety measures during the 117th Congress. We cannot say we are doing what it takes to keep Americans safe until we pass reasonable laws, which have broad bipartisan support among the public, to keep weapons of war off our streets and guns out of the hands of terrorists and violent criminals.
There is much we can do to advance gun safety in the United States. I supported the original assault weapons ban in 1994, I voted to renew it after the Sandy Hook tragedy, and I have again joined as a cosponsor of the Assault Weapons Ban Act of 2021. I am also a cosponsor of legislation to close loopholes in our background check system so that people who buy guns on the internet or at gun shows have to go through the same background checks as law-abiding gun owners who buy their guns at stores. And I supported the bipartisan Fix NICS bill, which strengthened our background check system by requiring federal agencies to better report information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to ensure that firearms do not end up in the hands of people who are a threat to the safety of anyone.
In addition, I have supported legislation to prevent those on the terrorist watch list from buying guns, because if you're too dangerous to get on an airplane, you're too dangerous to buy a deadly weapon. As a cosponsor of the Gun Violence Prevention Research Act, I support repealing laws that prevent the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from conducting research on gun violence. The successful repeal of this prohibition is an important step forward for gun violence research, but there is still so much more we can do to decrease gun-related deaths.
I have always respected the Second Amendment rights of hunters, collectors, and other law-abiding gun owners; banning items like assault rifles and extended magazines does not unfairly infringe upon those rights. The singular purpose of these types of weapons and accessories is clear: cause the maximum amount of death and destruction as possible, in the shortest period of time. When Americans are not safe in their schools, movie theatres, and houses of worship, it's clear something must be done to curb gun violence.
Unfortunately, for too long, the gun lobby, led by the National Rifle Association (NRA), have prevented commonsense legislation on gun violence from being considered or passed by Congress. Nevertheless, despite their determination to stand in the way of safety measures, I will continue to fight for commonsense, constitutional legislation that will protect our citizens from gun violence.
While legislation alone will not prevent every shooting, commonsense changes will save lives and reduce the risk of future mass shootings. As firearms-related legislation comes before the Senate, I will keep your thoughts in mind.
Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
United States Senator
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