GIFFORDS hails anniversary of Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

WASHINGTON — Today, GIFFORDS, the national gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, released a statement ahead of the second anniversary of President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act on June 25th. GIFFORDS experts advised congressional and administration staff throughout the drafting process.

“For decades, the gun violence prevention movement fought to close loopholes and fix our broken gun safety laws—and for decades, lawmakers failed to act. It took the unwavering leadership and bipartisan negotiation skills of President Joe Biden to finally see notable progress that will save lives,” said GIFFORDS Executive Director Emma Brown. “By cracking down on gun traffickers, investing in violence intervention workers, and keeping guns away from young people who can’t pass a background check, countless lives have been saved.”

“We need a president like Joe Biden, and champions in Congress, who will keep fighting to keep our schools, streets, and homes safe from gun violence. Donald Trump would repeal the bipartisan gun crime bill and put the gun lobby back in charge. Gun homicides skyrocketed 34% during Trump’s first term—the American people can’t afford to give him a second,” Brown added.

Last year, GIFFORDS published a report with a foreword written by primary bill author Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) that examined the first year of progress under the law. A year earlier, GIFFORDS published recommendations for the new law’s implementation.

• Expanded background checks have “kept nearly 1,000 firearms out of the hands of dangerous and prohibited persons.”
• More than 500 people have been charged with gun trafficking offenses.
• The federal government authorized $1.4 billion for “new and existing violence-prevention and intervention programs,” including:
  • Education, training, and public-awareness campaigns
  • Emergency risk protection orders (so-called “red flag” laws)
  • “School resource officer training programs related to gun violence and youth mental health”
  • “Drug, mental health, and veterans treatment courts and behavioral health responses such as crisis mobile response teams and stabilization facilities”

MEDIA REQUESTS

Our experts can speak to the full spectrum of gun violence prevention issues. Have a question? Email us at media@giffords.org.

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