Chairman Thompson Lauds President's Commonsense Actions to Help Prevent Gun Violence
Calls it an important step forward in work to keep people safe
Washington – Today Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chairman Mike Thompson (CA-05) lauded President Biden's initial Executive Actions to help address gun violence and save lives. Chairman Thompson attended the President's Rose Garden Ceremony and released the following statement.
"Today is a new day and I'm proud to have a President willing to do the tough work needed to help prevent gun violence and save lives. We need action on all fronts, from the President and the Congress, to help keep our communities safe. Gun violence takes thousands of lives each year and costs our country nearly $300 billion each year. It's an epidemic and we must act to combat it.
"Today's Executive Actions are an important piece of what is needed to get ahead of the curve. These actions will better regulate ghost guns which increasingly are being used in gun violence incidents and concealable rifles like the gun used in the Boulder mass shooting. These are actions I have led the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force in asking the President to take. The President also announced that the Department of Justice will do an annual report on firearm trafficking and support more evidence-based community violence intervention programs, important moves that the Task Force also requested. Finally, the President announced his intention to nominate David Chipman to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. David has been a steadfast leader on gun violence prevention with decades of experience in law enforcement and I was proud to support his nomination.
"These executive actions are critical steps forward in our work to prevent gun violence. But they cannot be our last steps as more action is still needed. I remain firm in my work to ensure the Senate holds a vote on H.R. 8, my bipartisan bill to expand background checks and save lives. Our work must continue."
Thompson has chaired the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force since it was formed in 2012 after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Read more about the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 here. You can click here to read more about these Executive Actions. You can also click here to read the Task Force letter on the need to regulate ghost guns and here for the Task Force letter calling for stronger regulation of concealable assault-style rifles. You can also click here to read Thompson's letter calling on President Biden to nominate Chipman to lead ATF.