Schakowsky Statement on Passage and Signing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Into Law

WASHINGTON - Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement after the House passed and the President signed S. 2938 the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law. Yesterday, the House passed the bill by a vote of 234-193 – just weeks after the tragic shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York:

"Yesterday was a historic day. Thanks to the tireless work done by advocates fighting for gun safety legislation, the political tide has finally started to turn. After nearly 30 years of failing to do anything, both the House and Senate have finally passed a gun safety bill into law that will actually save lives.

"The Safer Communities Act closes the ‘boyfriend loophole' by banning someone who has been convicted of domestic violence in a dating relationship from owning a gun. It also provides funding for states and localities to keep guns out of the hands of individuals a court has deemed a danger to themselves or others, provides funding for community-based violence intervention, enhances background checks for 18–20-year-olds, and invests in children's, family, and school mental health services. Finally, the bill cracks down on illegal trafficking of guns, also known as ‘straw purchasing,' which will help to mitigate crime in Illinois and all over the country.

"While this legislation is an important step to combatting our nation's gun violence epidemic, our work is far from over. We must keep up the momentum and continue to fight for universal background checks, a ban on assault weapons, and so much more. Thursday's decision by extremist Supreme Court Justices to strike down New York's century-year-old concealed carry law – putting the rights of guns over women – makes that even clearer. The American people are resilient though. We will continue to mobilize and work together at the Federal, State, and local level to ensure that the American people are safe from gun violence."

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