Adams Urges Action at Gun Violence Event

CHARLOTTE – Today,Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather, and Grace McLain with Moms Demand Action stressed the importance of urgent action during a virtual event for Gun Violence Awareness Day. Over 100 Mecklenburg County residents attended along with members of the media.

Video of the event is available for download here.

YouTube Video of the event is available for sharing here.

"We're here today because inaction is no longer an option," said Adams. "Congress must pass common sense strategies to effectively reduce gun violence across the country by promoting safe storage of firearms, addressing do-it-yourself ghost guns and bump stocks, strengthening gun laws that allow guns to be trafficked from state to state, and taking semiautomatic weapons of war off the streets and off the shelves of gun stores and gun shows."

Adams added that she plans on voting for H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act, when she returns to Washington next week. She is an original cosponsor of the legislation.

"The degrees of separation are becoming narrower–mass shootings are becoming more common. It is time to act," said Merriweather. "When we think of the proliferation of violence, don't think of it as an individual, think of what that weapon can do in the hands of your kid, or somebody else's kid."

"The world is watching and we cannot look away from the pain, heartbreak, and fear we all feel right now," said McLain. "We're asking the Senate to not look away, but to take action now. It's time for you to do your jobs."

Adams concluded by saying, "I urge my friends in the Senate to join me in voting for freedom: freedom to go to school without fear. Freedom from active shooter drills. Freedom from the anxiety of being in a public space. Freedom from worrying about our loved ones and our little ones. Freedom from a violent death. Freedom from weapons of war."

Background

Since starting her first full term in 2015, Rep. Adams has sponsored the Assault Weapons Ban Act in every session of Congress. Since 2019, Adams has sponsored 19 pieces of critical legislation to address the gun violence epidemic in the United States:

Bills Cosponsored in the 117th Congress that Passed the House of Representatives:

• H.R. 8 Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021: This bill, introduced by Rep. Mike Thompson would prohibit sales between unlicensed individuals unless a licensed party first possesses the gun and conducts a background check. The bill passed out of the House of Representatives and has been placed on the Senate legislative calendar.
  
• H.R. 1446 Enhanced Background Checks Act 2021: Introduced by James Clyburn, this bill will revise background check requirements applicable to proposed firearm transfers from a federal gun licensee to an unlicensed person by increasing the amount of time from 3 days to 10 business days for a licensee to receive a completed background check.

Bills Cosponsored in the 117th Congress that have not Passed the House of Representatives:

• H.R. 1808 Assault Weapons Ban of 2021: This bill, introduced by David Cicilline would make it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD)
  
• H.R. 3015 Raise the Age Act: Introduced by Anthony Brown on May 7, 2021, this bill would increase the required age for certain semiautomatic firearms to 21. The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee and has 56 cosponsors.
  
• H.R. 4118 Break the Cycle of Violence Act: Introduced by Steven Horsford on June 24, 2021, this bill would provide federal grants to communities for evidence-informed community violence intervention and prevention programs designed to interrupt cycles of violence. This bill was referred to the House Education and Labor and Judiciary Committees. The bill has 82 cosponsors.
  
• H.R. 7533 Prioritizing Victims of Firearm Violence Act: Introduced by Rep. Escobar, this bill will designate a new category of programs through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) ensuring funding for mental health services and assistance for victims of firearm violence. This bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee and has 6 cosponsors.
  
• H.R. 7540 Safe Workplaces Act: Introduced on April 18, 2022, by Rep. Neguse, this bill will direct the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to conduct a study on threats of violence, including gun violence in the workplace. The bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee and has 18 cosponsors.
  
• H.R. 7904 To Require that Federal Firearms Licensees report sales of two or more handguns to an unlicensed individual within 5 consecutive business days: Introduced on May 27, 2022, by Rep. Norma Torres, this bill would amend Title 18 of the U.S. code to expand the requirement that Federal firearms licensees report sales of 2 or more handguns to the same unlicensed person within 5 consecutive business days. This bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee and has 30 cosponsors.
  
• H.Res.798 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the relationship between firearms and intimate-partner violence: This resolution was referred to the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and has 17 cosponsors.
  
• H.R. 5428 the school shooting Safety and Preparedness Act: This bill introduced by Rep. Wasserman Schultz would require the Department of ED to publish an annual report on indicators of school crime and safety including the number of school shootings and the number and type of firearms used in each incident. This bill has been referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor and has 49 cosponsors.
  
• H.R. 748 Ethan's Law: This bill, introduced on March 21, 2022, would establish a framework to regulate the storage of firearms in residences at the federal, state and tribal levels. This bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee and will be included in the June markup.

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