Giffords Applauds Reintroduction Of New Background Checks Bill

October 25, 2017

October 25, 2017— Today, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the Co-Founder of the gun violence prevention organization Giffords, applauded the introduction of a new background checks bill that would close loopholes in federal gun laws that let dangerous people buy guns without a background check. The bill is sponsored by Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT).

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords

“Our leaders are at a crossroads. They can either continue to ignore the reality of gun violence, which claims 93 lives every single day, or they can choose to do something about it. Our leaders can either continue following the will of the gun lobby, and pass dangerous and regressive bills that put our safety in jeopardy, or they can follow the will of the 94 percent of Americans who support requiring background checks for all gun sales. This could be a moment of significant progress, but seizing that moment is going to take courage. Our leaders must act now. I applaud Senator Murphy, and all of the senators who have cosponsored this legislation, for their steadfast leadership on this issue and for introducing this bill that not only protects the rights of law abiding gun owners, like myself but also keeps guns out of dangerous hands.”

About Background Checks

The Gun Control Act of 1968 made it illegal for prohibited purchasers, such as convicted felons, to purchase or possess firearms, and in 1993, the Brady Act strengthened this law by requiring background checks on gun purchases. But the Brady Act only requires background checks for sales by licensed firearms dealers. Unlicensed sellers, whether they do business online, at gun shows, or from the trunk of their car, are not required to conduct background checks on gun buyers.
The FBI uses the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to determine whether a potential buyer is prohibited from purchasing firearms. Over 90 percent background checks are done instantly. Since the NICS system has been in place, over 225 million background checks have been conducted, most instantaneously. Over two million firearms sales to prohibited purchasers have been denied since passage of the Brady Act in 1993.
The correlation between strong background check laws, chief among them universal background checks, and reduced gun death rates is well-documented. For example, in 2007 Missouri repealed its permit-to-purchase handgun law, which required background checks on all handgun sales, and saw its gun homicide rate jump 25%, its share of crime guns recovered in-state grew 25%, and its share of crime guns recovered within two years of their original sale double, a key indicator of crime gun trafficking. Conversely, Connecticut saw its gun homicide rate drop 40% and its gun suicide rate drop 15% after implementing a permit-to-purchase handgun law that required applicants to pass a background check in order to purchase a handgun from any seller.
Background checks save lives. In states that require background checks for all handgun sales 47% fewer women are shot to death by their intimate partners, there are 53% fewer firearm suicides, and 53% fewer law enforcement officers are shot to death by handguns.
Background checks are overwhelmingly popular. A recent poll taken after the Las Vegas shooting found 94 percent of Americans support universal background checks for all gun sales, including 93 percent of gun owners.

Learn more about background checks here.

To learn more about these measures, or to arrange time to speak with an expert, contact media@giffords.org.