“NO” On Bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R. 8)
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The vote results from roll call today.
This week, the House will vote on H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act introduced by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Ca). This legislation would require universal background checks for all firearm sales (even private) with specific exceptions. Unfortunately, universal background checks would do little to prevent firearm violence and would instead make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to purchase, own, carry, and use a firearm.
Studies show that universal background checks are largely ineffective when it comes to preventing mass shootings. In 19 of the most recent high-profile cases, the shooters bought their firearms legally and passed all the required background checks. In fact, it is unlikely that even a single recent mass public shooter would have been prevented from obtaining a firearm if universal background checks were implemented. Mass shootings do not happen because of a lack of background checks.
In addition, most people imprisoned for firearm-related crimes access their firearms illegally through theft, the underground market, family members, or friends. A 2016 study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh showed that lawful gun owners carried out less than a fifth of all firearm-related crimes.
H.R. 8 is poorly written and makes criminals out of many law-abiding Americans who commonly make low-risk firearm transfers. The bill creates a de facto monopoly by forcing private parties to use Federal Firearms Licensees to conduct background checks on prospective gun buyers, which isn’t necessary in the first place because Congress could simply revise the existing background check framework to allow non Federal Firearms Licensees access to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). In other words, even if people say universal background checks are effective, H.R. 8 is the worst and most burdensome way of imposing them and actually inhibits and discourages compliance.
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