Messages from Congresswoman Hayes

Dear Friend,

25 years - that’s how long it has been since the last piece of comprehensive gun violence legislation has been considered by the House of Representatives. Last week, we ended that unconscionable streak by passing H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, and H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019. I was proud to vote for these critical pieces of legislation, and to speak on the floor of the House to encourage my colleagues to do the same.

This issue is personal for me. Not only do I represent Newtown, CT, where 26 children and educators were senselessly murdered 6 years ago, but I grew up in a neighborhood in Waterbury, CT where the sound of gunshots in the distance was as normal as hearing church bells. As a teacher and as a mother, I know how the threat of gun violence affects our children.

Congress can no longer remain silent on this issue. I am proud to work every day to end this epidemic of violence as a Deputy Whip on the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, and to have cosponsored 11 gun violence prevention bills since coming to Congress. If passed, these bills will prevent the manufacture of untraceable, printable 3-D firearms, ban bump stocks, prevent those with documented histories of domestic violence or hate crime convictions from purchasing firearms, and authorize funding to study gun violence at a national level.

Please know that I will continue to work with my colleagues across the aisle to make progress on this critical issue in the 116th Congress. To keep up with my work in Congress, please sign up for my e-newsletter here.