WS Chronicle

 To the Editor:

[Studies show that every day when background checks are used, more than 170 felons, 50 domestic abusers, and nearly 20 fugitives are prevented from buying a gun.  Currently, background checks are not required for those purchasing a gun from a gun show, through the Internet, or through a classified ad. U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams (NC-12) applauded President Obama’s announcement to take executive action to prevent gun violence in America.]

Far too many innocent lives have been taken at the hands of guns. I applaud President Obama for this historic step to curb gun violence in our country. The president’s action not only helps strengthen the background check system but fuels research to make guns safer, expands mental health services and helps to keep illegal guns off the streets.

I have long advocated for increased gun safety measures and introduced several pieces of legislation in the North Carolina General Assembly aimed at preventing gun violence.  This is why now, as a member of Congress, I believe we can’t continue to stand idly by. We must bolster the president’s efforts by passing solid legislation to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the dangerously mentally ill, while also protecting gun rights for law abiding citizens.

President Obama’s executive action on gun violence:

* Provides new guidance on existing federal laws, clarifying that any individual in the business of selling firearms must obtain a license through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and conduct background checks on prospective gun purchasers;

* Increases funding to hire more ATF agents, provide resources for tracking illegal online firearms trafficking and strengthen domestic violence outreach efforts;

* Invests in resources to expand access to mental health care;

* Removes barriers that prevent the reporting of mental health information to the background check system; and

* Directs the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security to conduct or sponsor research into new technology to make firearms safer.

[More than 30,000 people die from gun violence each year. Adams is a cosponsor of H.R. 1217, the Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2015, bipartisan legislation to expand the existing background check system to cover all commercial firearm sales, including those at gun shows, over the Internet or in classified ads while providing reasonable exceptions for family and friend transfers.  She has also cosponsored the Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2015, the Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act, as well as a resolution to create the Select Committee on Gun Violence Prevention.]

U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams  

(NC-12) Washington, D.C.