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Gun Safety

Congressman Scott is a vice-chair of the House Democratic Caucus Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, which was convened by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in response to the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut. The purpose of the Task Force is to find comprehensive, commonsense solutions to the problem of gun violence in America that also respect law-abiding citizens' Second Amendment rights.

The Task Force solicited the input and testimony of victims of gun violence and gun safety advocates; gun owners, hunters, and outdoor sportsmen; federal, state, and local law enforcement; educators and community workers; mental health experts and physicians; criminology and public health researchers; representatives of the motion picture, television, music, and video game industries; faith community leaders; and representatives of gun manufacturers and retailers. Based upon the feedback of these groups, the Task Force urges Congress to:

  • Support the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans.
  • Support citizens' rights to possess firearms for hunting, shooting sports, defense, and other lawful and legitimate purposes.
  • Reinstate and strengthen a prospective federal ban on assault weapons.
  • Reinstate a prospective federal ban on assault magazines.
  • Strengthen the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) database.
  • Prosecute those prohibited buyers who attempt to purchase firearms and others who violate federal firearm laws.
  • Pass legislation aimed specifically at cracking down on illegal gun trafficking and straw-purchasing.
  • Restore funding for public safety and law enforcement initiatives aimed at reducing gun violence.
  • Support initiatives that prevent problems before they start, especially by enacting comprehensive, violence prevention and intervention legislation like the Youth PROMISE Act.
  • Close the holes in our mental-health system and make sure that care is available for those who need it.
  • Help our communities get unwanted and illegal guns out of the hands of those who don't want them or shouldn't have them.
  • Support responsible gun ownership.
  • Take steps to enhance school safety through evidence-based strategies and positive behavioral interventions.
  • Address our culture's glorification of violence seen and heard though our movie screens, television shows, music and video games.