Jim Costa: “Gun violence, as we know, is plaguing our Nation. In 2022, this year, there have already been 200 mass shootings in the…”

“Gun violence, as we know, is plaguing our Nation. In 2022, this year, there have already been 200 mass shootings in the United States. Think about that. It is absolutely horrific. We ask ourselves, when is enough enough? Our constituents across the country ask us, how many more innocent people must die before any reasonable, commonsense gun reform legislation can pass and add more protection for the American public? Let's pass the Protecting Our Kids Act, which raises the purchasing age for semiautomatic weapons from 18 to 21, a commonsense idea. Let's also deal with the subject of ghost gun purchases and background checks. Again, commonsense ideas, and cracks down on gun trafficking and straw purchases. If the combination of the Protecting Our Kids Act is something that you might find objectionable in some instance, we have individual pieces of legislation, resources for victims of gun violence, bipartisan background checks, assault weapons ban, legislation that would also go further to provide protection in condemning the horrific shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, and dealing with hate, bigotry, and violence against Asian-American and Pacific-Islander communities. We also have legislation that would designate June 4th National Gun Violence Awareness Day.…”