Passing Common Sense Gun Laws

Raja supports common-sense gun laws to keep guns out of the wrong hands and reduce the epidemic of mass shootings that are occurring throughout the United States. Among the measures he supports are closing the “gun-show loophole” by extending background checks for gun purchases to gun shows; reinstating the expired federal ban on assault weapons; and improving the reporting system to help keep guns out of the hands of terrorists, convicted felons, and those with severe mental illnesses. Raja also supports allowing the government to fund research on gun deaths and gun safety, something that is presently forbidden.

In the wake of the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Raja introduced H.R.4018, a bill to provide a three-day waiting period before a person may receive a handgun. This legislation is designed to prevent would-be mass shooters from acquiring immediate access to lethal weapons, providing more time to prevent the next mass shooting. Furthermore, gun suicide is one of the leading contributors to gun deaths and to suicides in the United States, and creating a longer waiting period can provide the time to save a significant number of lives. Too many young people are dying from an epidemic of gun violence, and we must do what we can do protect the public from guns in the hands of those who would seek to do harm.