Washington, D.C. -Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, released the following statement after the House passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act:
“For the first time in decades, Congress finally found common ground to help stem the tide of gun violence. After we heard pleas from victims and family members begging Congress for action, this bipartisan package takes critical steps to make sure dangerous weapons do not fall into the wrong hands by bolstering background checks, closing the boyfriend loophole, and increasing resources for mental health services. I’m also proud to report that Congress took a bold step to curb gun trafficking by cracking down on straw purchasers-an effort that I have championed for more than a decade. Ultimately, this bill is about saving lives and I look forward to the President signing this swiftly into law."
On June 8, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney held a hearing on the urgent need to address the gun violence epidemic. The hearing featured powerful testimony from Zeneta Everhart, mother of Zaire Goodman, survivor of the attack in Buffalo, New York; Roy Guerrero, M.D., Pediatrician in Uvalde, Texas; Felix and Kimberly Rubio, parents of Lexi Rubio, who was murdered at Robb Elementary School; Miah Cerrillo, fourth-grade student at Robb Elementary School; and Miah’s father, Miguel Cerrillo.
In Chairwoman Maloney’s closing statement, she announced that the Committee will hold a future hearing with the nation’s leading gun manufacturers to explain why they continue marketing and selling the weapons of choice for mass shooters.
The Committee has been examining gun violence in the United States for several years, and in 2019 launched an investigation into gun dealers that sell guns used in crimes. On April 28, 2022, the Committee released preliminary findings from its investigation, showing that a small number of gun dealers-particularly those in states with lax gun laws-have sold thousands of guns used in violent crimes.
On May 27, 2022, the Committee sent letters to five leading manufacturers of semi-automatic rifles for information related to the manufacture, marketing, and sales of their weapons, in order to understand how these guns are fueling the gun violence epidemic and to inform gun safety legislation.
For more than 10 years, Chairwoman Maloney has championed bipartisan legislation, including H.R.1007, the Hadiya Pendleton and Nyasia Pryear-Yard Gun Trafficking and Crime Prevention Act, to make gun trafficking a federal felony and strengthen penalties for straw purchasers, in order to help stop the flow of guns into the hands of criminals.
