The Bullet Trap

4 days ago

Quote from Rodney Davis.

Quote

Thank you for contacting me regarding your thoughts on gun violence. The horrific shootings that took place in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, demonstrate the need for us to come together to enact change, to better enforce our laws, and to strengthen our mental health policies. As someone who experienced a mass shooting, this issue is extremely personal to me.

On the morning of August 3, 2019, a 21-year-old individual shot and killed 22 people and injured many others at a Walmart in El Paso. Police took the individual into custody. In Dayton, on August 4, 2019, a 24-year-old opened fire at the entrance of a bar fatally shooting nine people while injuring several others. Police killed the shooter at the scene of the crime. In both the El Paso and Dayton shootings, the shooters passed a background check and legally purchased their firearms. The changes proposed and passed by House Democrats earlier this year would not have stopped these heinous acts from occurring.

For this reason, Congress should work in a bipartisan manner to enact lasting change that will make a difference. Some pieces of legislation I support that accomplish this goal include H.R. 744, the Protecting Our Communities and Rights Act of 2019, and H.R. 838, the Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety Act. H.R. 744 is a bipartisan red flag bill that empowers states to establish laws enacting extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) that do not infringe upon an individual’s constitutional rights, ERPOs allow law enforcement or family members to petition a court to limit an individual’s access to firearms if the individual poses a significant threat to themselves or others. If the red flag law is passed in Congress, it would be the most significant gun control legislation passed in twenty years. H.R. 838, a bipartisan bill having support of 57 Republicans and 57 Democrats, helps states and local communities reduce possible threats by developing behavioral threat assessment and management systems. Both the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Capitol Police use these types of systems to prevent attacks. When combined, these pieces of legislation ensure that individuals who should not have guns do not, and that law enforcement is better able to coordinate and communicate in times of crisis.

Furthermore, to address the issue of gun violence the federal government should better enforce current law and strengthen access to mental health services. Under a Republican-controlled Congress, I helped pass three pieces of legislation that the President signed into law achieving this purpose. First, in 2016, Congress passed H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act, legislation that overhauled our mental health laws so that we as a nation can better assist individuals struggling with mental health issues. Secondly, in 2018, Congress passed the STOP School Violence Act, legislation that strengthens school security. Thirdly, and also in 2018, Congress passed the FIX NICS bill, legislation that improves our criminal background check system to ensure information barring an individual from purchasing a firearm is up to date.

I believe enacting change and better enforcing our current laws will help increase safety, but measures passed in Washington alone will not prevent every tragedy. We must do all we can to ensure units of government, from the local to the federal level, work together to prevent future tragedies. Be assured, I’ll keep your concerns in mind as Congress continues to address the issue of gun violence in America. I continue to pray for all of the victims in El Paso, Dayton, and beyond.

Sincerely,



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Rodney Davis
Member of Congress

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