Press Release
Reps. Cuellar and Culberson Introduce Gun Background Check Bill
WASHINGTON,
November 17, 2017
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Rafael Benavides
((956) 725-0639)
Yesterday, Thursday, November 17, Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), John Culberson (R-TX), Elizabeth Esty (D-CT), Ryan Costello (R-PA), and Pete Aguilar (D-CA) introduced H.R. 4434, a companion bill to the FIX
“Following the horrific shooting that occurred in my district, in Sutherland Springs, Texas, there is a call to action to prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again. But many call for new laws often without considering whether or not current laws are being enforced,” Congressman Cuellar said. “Today, we introduced bipartisan legislation that will fill in the gaps in “For years agencies and states haven’t complied with the law, failing to upload these critical records without consequence,” Sen. Cornyn said. “Just one record that’s not properly reported can lead to tragedy, as the country saw last week in Sutherland Springs, Texas. This bill aims to help fix what’s become a nationwide, systemic problem so we can better prevent criminals and domestic abusers from obtaining firearms.” “This deal will strengthen the background check system and save lives. Our bill marks an important milestone that shows real compromise can be made on the issue of guns, and I’m glad the House is following suit,” said Sen. Murphy. “It’s no secret that I believe much more needs to be done. But this bill will make sure that thousands of dangerous people are prevented from buying guns. It represents the strongest update to the background checks system in a decade, and provides the foundation for more compromise in the future.” “Had existing law been enforced, the horrific tragedy in Sutherland Springs, Texas would have never occurred. The pure negligence of criminal history reporting into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System ( “This bill is an important first step in the effort to take bipartisan action to keep Americans safe from gun violence,” Rep. Esty said. “There are many more steps I believe we can and should take to protect people from weapons of war, but closing the gaps in “We now know that the killers in several recent mass shootings, including the devastating attack in Sutherland Springs, were not supposed to be able to legally purchase guns. Gaps in “Databases and systems we use for background checks are only as strong as the records are complete,” Rep. Costello stated. “The systems must be accurate and comprehensive so that we can stop these tragedies. This bill is yet another example of my bipartisan commitment to take responsible and constitutional steps to prevent gun violence.” “The gun violence epidemic in our country has devastated too many lives in too many communities, including my own,” said Rep. Aguilar. “By strengthening the background check system, this bill is a commonsense step in the right direction toward preventing future tragedies.” Background on the Fix • Requires federal agencies and states to produce • Holds federal agencies accountable if they fail to upload relevant records to the background check system through public reporting and prohibiting bonus pay for political appointees. • Rewards states who comply with their • Reauthorizes and improves important law enforcement programs to help state governments share relevant criminal record information with • Creates a Domestic Abuse and Violence Prevention Initiative to ensure that states have adequate resources and incentives to share all relevant information with • Provides important technical assistance to federal agencies and states who are working to comply with For more information on H.R. 4434, please click the following link: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/4434 |