Contact: Julia Savel, 973-525-5579, juliasavel@randybryceforcongress.com
RACINE, WI – Today, Randy Bryce released his comprehensive gun safety and reform platform. It includes mandatory background checks, a 48 hour waiting period, and a ban on semi-automatic assault weapons and military style weapons and accessories.
“As a gun owner and veteran, I understand the importance of the Second Amendment. I also know how necessary it is to have comprehensive gun reform. Too many politicians who are in the pocket of the gun lobby have said that anyone who speaks up for common sense gun reform is politicizing the situation– but I say protecting our children and our people from gun violence is a top priority for our elected leaders. Politicians and the NRA are putting profits ahead of people,” said Randy Bryce. “I am proud to have been endorsed by Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, who are leading the charge for more gun safety. The time for talk has long past–it’s time for action. And I’m going to fight to ensure we’re doing everything possible to keep people safe.”
Bryce will be holding a Student Activist for Randy canvass launch on Friday.
To view Randy’s most recent ad, “Helmets”, click here.
Bryce’s Platform on Gun Policy
Mandatory Background Checks- 97% of all Americans support a mandatory background check for all gun sales. Randy believes we should not be selling deadly weapons to people who have a history of violent criminal behavior, domestic violence and abuse, or dangerous mental illness. Background checks should be a federal requirement, with any purchase of a firearm…period.
Banning Semi Automatic Assault Weapons, Bump Stocks, and Military Style Weapons and Accessories- There are between 6 million and 10 million of these semi-automatic assault weapons in circulation in the United States. They are easily available for purchase and distribution, making community spaces like schools, churches, and concerts targets for gun violence and mass killings. Semi-automatic assault weapons have one purpose: to cause as much destruction and injury possible in the shortest amount of time. There is absolutely no need for semi-automatic assault weapons on our streets. If elected, Randy would call for a ban on the sale of semi-automatic assault weapons, as well as a ban on bump stocks and military style weapons and accessories.
Mandatory 48 Hour Waiting Period – A mandatory 48 hour waiting period can be critical to saving lives, especially for those suffering from dangerous mental illness. Anyone that is using a gun for recreational reasons should have no problem waiting two days to legally make their purchase. Currently, there is no federal waiting period for guns; it can only be mandated at the state level. Each year over 3,000 people that did not receive a background check or were deemed ineligible receive firearms through this provision. Randy would introduce legislation that would require a federal, mandatory 48 hour waiting period for all firearm purchases.
Closing the Charleston Loophole – The federal law has a loophole (otherwise known as the default provision or Charleston loophole) which allows gun dealers to sell a firearm after three business days–even if a background check was not completed. The gunman of the Charleston Church shooting was able to obtain his firearm because law enforcement needed additional time to complete their background check. Randy would introduce legislation to close the Charleston loophole to ensure that people undergo and complete a background check before a transfer or sale occurs.
Rejecting NRA Money and Influence – By the end of June 2018, there were already 154 mass shootings in this United States. While children, congregants, concert-goers and innocent people across this nation are killed by guns, politicians continue to take millions of dollars from the gun lobby that advocates for less-regulated gun laws. And they’ve shown one thing to be true–to the gun lobby, profits matter more than people. Randy has pledged to reject all gun lobby money and fight to remove their influence out of our electoral system in the interest of putting people first and making our communities safer.
Fully Funding Gun Violence Research – For decades, the federal government has refused to fully fund gun violence research to combat the epidemic in our country. While there are common sense solutions that we should absolutely not be waiting to implement, research into the causes of gun violence is imperative as we try to get to the root of the rising rate of gun violence in this country. By identifying the main causes of gun violence, we can be more effective and efficient in our strategies to end gun violence — and stop 33,000 Americans from being killed by guns every year.
