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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 14, 2013 11:00 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Ronald G. Waters |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Resolution: Universal Background Checks When Purchasing Firearms |
In the near future, I will be introducing a resolution which urges the United States Congress to pass, and the President to sign, legislation which would require universal background checks for firearm purchases, and to update requirements for reporting criminal and mental illness records into the background check system. The National Instant Criminal Background Check system (“NICS”) has been an effective means for keeping firearms from criminals and other dangerous individuals since its launch in 1998. Since then, more than 100 million checks have been made, resulting in more than 700,00 denials, keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals or other individuals ineligible to make a firearm purchase. However, the system is undermined as a result of loopholes, inadequate funding, and missing records that enable dangerous individuals to obtain weapons later used in crimes. For example, Seung-Hui Cho, who shot and killed 32 people at Virginia Tech, was able to legally purchase the guns used in the massacre because of inconsistencies between state and federal law regarding mental health record reporting requirements. Jared Loughner, who killed six and wounded 13 in Arizona, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, had a history of abuse and serious mental illness. He should have been in the NICS database but was not. In addition, as many as forty percent of firearm transactions take place without a background check, because of loopholes in the law for gun shows, private sales, and other situations. Universal background checks provide a safe, convenient, common sense way of protecting the American people from criminals and other dangerous persons while not infringing on our Second Amendment rights. The background check system, however, must be improved so that such individuals do not slip through the cracks. I urge you to stand with the overwhelming majority of Americans and Pennsylvanians that support universal background checks by co-sponsoring this resolution. |
Introduced as HR192