Katie Porter: “As Members of Congress, we have promised to serve the American people, and this means keeping American families safe and…”

“As Members of Congress, we have promised to serve the American people, and this means keeping American families safe and secure. But for too long, Congress has put fealty to the special interest of the gun lobby ahead of our safety. I cannot afford to live in fear of special interests. Why? Because every single day when I send my three children off to school, I live in fear for their safety; because I have seen the pain on the faces of those parents whose children never came home from school, the parents who hugged their children good-bye in the morning, never knowing it would be for the last time; because no parent should ever have to mourn a child lost to preventable gun violence; and because, as your Member of Congress, I have the power to fight for change. This is the power that Congress has, and this is why 1 year ago, we passed landmark legislation to reduce gun violence in this country. Under current law, only federally licensed vendors must conduct background checks, but this creates loopholes for private sellers. This means that there are no background checks on private sales, including gun shows and online transactions. The Bipartisan Background Checks Act closes this loophole and will ensure that nearly all gun sales are run through the National Criminal Background Check System. This legislation is common sense. In fact, two former GOP Congressmen wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post in support of the legislation.…”