Supporting Universal Background Check Bill

Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement announcing her support for HR 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, which would expand the current federal background check system to cover nearly all firearm sales. The House is set to vote on the legislation this week in addition to HR 1112, a bill to close the so-called "Charleston loophole" that allowed Dylann Roof to purchase the firearm he used to kill nine African Americans before the FBI could finish its background check. Pingree supports that bill as well.

"Our background check system can't protect the public with so many massive holes in it. We can all agree that certain people should not be allowed to own a firearm because of the risks they present. But we've given them multiple options for skirting the system so they can purchase one with ease," said Pingree. "As shootings have rocked our nation, I've met with students who don't feel safe in their schools, parents who fear for their children, and heartbroken families who've lost their loved ones to gun violence. Congress should be absolutely ashamed that we have ignored their cries and this appalling crisis for so long. I'm proud to support HR 8, which would fill the holes in our background check system, one of the easiest and most effective steps we can take to prevent gun violence and save lives. I'm disheartened that this issue has become so divisive, because there's so much we can agree on. This bipartisan bill finds that common ground, striking a commonsense compromise between protecting public safety while preserving the rights of law-abiding gun owners."

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