Members of the 116th Congress:
We, the undersigned organizations, strongly urge you to cosponsor and quickly pass H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Check Act, and S. 42, the Background Check Expansion Act, to require Brady background checks for all firearm transfers.
In the 25 years since the Brady Law was enacted, more than 3 million prohibited firearm purchases have been prevented. In 2015 alone, an average of 619 individuals per day were deemed by law to be too dangerous to possess a gun and were blocked by this system.
Background checks are conclusively effective and have saved countless lives. However, because only federally licensed firearms dealers are required to conduct these checks, an estimated one in five gun sales or transfers - those conducted by private sellers, including sales online and at gun shows - are completed without a background check. Felons, domestic abusers and other dangerous people have long exploited these gaps in the law, often with deadly consequences.
H.R. 8 and S. 42 will make us all safer by requiring a background check for virtually every firearm sale and transfer. The bills include narrow, reasonable exceptions like transfers among close family members and short-term gun loans among hunters and sport shooters. The legislation does nothing to impede lawful gun purchases, while closing off a wide and well-known avenue for illegal transactions by prohibited, and often dangerous, buyers. And it enjoys the support of 97% of Americans, including large majorities of gun owners and NRA members.
We urge you to act quickly to pass this life-saving legislation.
Sincerely,
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
League of Women Voters of the US
Children’s Defense Fund
The United States Conference of Mayors
Major Cities Chiefs Association National PTA
National Education Association (NEA)
American Public Health Association Color of Change
Indivisible
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
Hispanic American Police Commanders Association (HAPCOA)
VoteVets
MomsRising
People for the American Way
New York Professional Nurses Union
Doctors for America
Nurses Against Gun Violence
Bishops United Against Gun Violence
Docs Demand Action
This Is Our Lane
American Medical Student Association
Equality Florida
Grandmothers for Peace International
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Union for Reform Judaism
National Physicians Alliance
Joint Action Committee
Newtown Action Alliance
Sandy Hook Promise
Amnesty International
BRADY ORANGE COUNTY
