Schakowsky Statement on Passage of the Protect Our Kids Act

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, voted to protect communities and save lives with a strong legislative package to address gun violence. The Protecting Our Kids Act includes common-sense gun safety measures that will crack down on illegal gun trafficking, keep weapons of war out of the hands of teenagers, strengthen safe gun storage, restrict access to untraceable "ghost guns" and more.

"There is no issue more important than this," said Congresswoman Schakowsky in a speech on the House floor earlier today. "We can do something today, something real."

The Protecting Our Kids Act takes key steps to address this crisis and safeguard Illinoisans' wellbeing. This bold legislative package includes several measures, including:

• The Raise the Age Act: raising the purchasing age for semi-automatic weapons to 21 years old. Currently, someone could buy a semi-automatic rifle, the weapon of choice in many mass shootings, at just 18 years old – yet you must be 21 to buy a less lethal handgun.
• The Prevent Gun Trafficking Act: cracking down on gun trafficking and straw purchases to get illegal guns off of our streets.
• The Untraceable Firearms Act: subjecting ghost gun purchases to background check requirements.
• The Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act: closing the bump stock loophole to ban these deadly tools from civilian use.
• The Keep Americans Safe Act: outlawing high-capacity magazines, which are designed for killing en masse and have been the accessory of choice in the bloodiest mass shootings.
• Strengthening safe storage requirements to protect children from accidental shootings.

The Protecting Our Kids Act builds on the House's twice-passed legislation advancing universal background checks for all gun purchases, action that is supported by nearly nine in ten Americans. Tomorrow, the House will vote on additional legislation establishing extreme risk protection orders, empowering courts to keep firearms out of the hands of individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others.

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