Mike Thompson: “Every day 30 people are killed by someone using a gun. That number jumps to 100 if you factor in accidents and suicides…”

“Every day 30 people are killed by someone using a gun. That number jumps to 100 if you factor in accidents and suicides involving guns. The steady stream of gun violence devastates families, communities, and schools. Gun violence costs our country $280 billion every year. This status quo is not okay. Our constituents know it, and they support H.R. 8 overwhelmingly. The Special Order last night on H.R. 8 was another low point for decorum in the House. To be generous, it was an embarrassing display and a complete misrepresentation of the facts. Viewers were told that the bill would create a Federal gun registry. Wrong. Read page 5, line 18. H.R. 8 prohibits any registry. They were told you can't give a gun to a family member. Wrong. Read page 3, line 7. You can. They were told that you can't transfer a gun if someone was suicidal or needed it for protection to address a self-defense situation. Wrong. Read page 3, line 21. You can. They were told that you can't lend a gun to a friend to go hunting. Wrong. Read page 4, line 16. You can. What the bill does do is close the private gun sale loophole, which has made it easy for felons and other prohibited purchasers to buy a gun online, at gun shows, or in person-to-person sales. We know universal background checks work. Every day they stop some 160 felons and some 50 domestic abusers from buying a gun. Every day.…”