WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05), the Deputy Whip of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, signed a letter urging action on legislation to prevent gun violence.
For years, Congresswoman Hayes and House Democrats have worked with survivors of gun violence, prioritized gun safety, and introduced legislation to make communities safer.
Following the mass shooting in Maine, Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, responded saying, “This is a dark time in America. …Prayer is appropriate in a time like this.”
Speaker Johnson also averted questions on gun legislation he would support and said now “is not the time to be talking about legislation.”
In 2023 Congresswoman Hayes:
- Led the reintroduction of the Handgun Permit to Purchase Act, legislation to incentivize state and local governments to implement permit to purchase laws that require individuals to obtain a license before purchasing a handgun.
- Introduced the School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act to allow the public and policymakers to gain a complete, accurate picture of gun violence in and around school campuses and provide actionable data to help prevent these tragic incidents.
- Signed three discharge petitions to force a vote on common sense gun violence prevention measures – the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, Enhanced Background Checks Act, and the Assault Weapons Ban.
It is far past time, but not too late, to address the issue of gun violence.
Congresswoman Hayes joined fellow members of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force leadership team to release a statement which says in part, “Under the Republican-led House of Representatives, there have been ZERO votes on bills that would protect our communities from the impact of gun violence…In the last Congress, House Democrats passed 11 gun violence prevention bills ranging from the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and a federal Red Flag Law to an Assault Weapon Ban and stronger safe storage laws. House Democrats have been tirelessly working to keep our communities safe,”
Read the full statement from Gun Violence Prevention Task Force leadership here.
###