Scott Votes to Reduce Gun Violence, Keep Kids & Communities Safe

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), a Vice Chair of the House Democratic Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Actby a vote of 223-204:

"Like everyone across the country, I am devastated by the gun violence in Buffalo and Uvalde, and the routine gun violence that plagues our communities every single day. For years, we have failed to take meaningful action to stop this violence. Gun violence is now the leading cause of death of children in the United States. Enough is enough. Instead of just offering thoughts and prayers, I was proud to take action again today and vote to pass the Protecting Our Kids Act, but I was disappointed to only see five House Republicans vote for the bill. This comprehensive gun safety package will help save lives if enacted and is in addition to what the House passed last year to ensure universal background checks and to close the so-called Charleston loophole."

The Protecting Our Kids Act will make a difference in our fight against gun violence by:

• Raising the purchasing age for certain semi-automatic weapons from 18 to 21 years old.
• Cracking down on gun trafficking and straw purchases to get illegal guns off our streets.
• Closing the ghost gun loophole.
• Strengthening safe storage requirements to protect children from accidental shootings.
• Outlawing bump stocks and high-capacity magazines for civilian use, as these only make mass shootings more deadly

For a full fact sheet on the Protecting Our Kids Act, please click here.

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