Thank you for contacting me to express your thoughts on gun control. I appreciate you taking the time to share your views with me. I highly value the conversations I have with Iowans across the Third District, even when we have sincere differences of belief or opinion.
When I worked for the State of Iowa, one unit I oversaw was Hunting and Fishing Licensing at the Department of Natural Resources. I know that responsible gun ownership is a part of our tradition here in Iowa. I believe we all must work together to encourage responsible ownership and prevent the senseless gun tragedies that are destroying families and communities in America. Congress has a responsibility to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous people while protecting the Second Amendment.
I have supported bipartisan, commonsense measures to make sure that guns are bought and sold safely and that we prevent guns from being possessed by dangerous, distressed individuals. That includes a pair of bills, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and the Enhanced Background Checks Act, to expand and strengthen background checks. If we are serious about keeping guns away from people who cannot legally own them, we must have strong background checks that enforce these laws.
These bills close two loopholes in existing federal law. Currently, unlicensed sellers are permitted to sell guns without conducting a background check, sometimes referred to as the Gun Show Loophole. Sellers are also permitted to “default to proceed” on a sale if a background check is not completed in three days, which has been called the Charleston Loophole. The Bipartisan Background Checks Act closes the Gun Show Loophole by prohibiting any person without a license to transfer a gun to another unlicensed person without a background check. The Enhanced Background Checks Act extends the background check period, which will provide time to complete background on individuals requiring additional review while maintaining a quick, efficient process for law-abiding gun owners.
These bills are important steps to close existing loopholes in our system, but we must do more to confront gun violence in America. I am also a co-sponsor of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2019, a bipartisan bill that would prohibit the manufacture, sale, transfer or possession of a semiautomatic assault weapon or large capacity ammunition feeding device. Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines are not designed for civilian use, and we need to act to keep our communities safe.
By encouraging responsible ownership and keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals, we can help protect our communities, our families and our children from gun violence while upholding the Second Amendment. I will continue to keep your concern in mind as the House of Representatives considers any other legislation that may impact gun ownership in America.
Thank you again for contacting my office. Please keep in touch with any additional questions or comments by emailing me at https://axne.house.gov/contact. If you would like to receive regular updates from me, please visit https://axne.house.gov/contact/newsletter to sign up for my e-newsletter.
