Washington, D.C. — Today,U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) joined Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and other Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion(GOSAFE) Actand the bipartisan Banning Unlawful Machinegun Parts (BUMP) Act,two pieces ofcommonsense legislation designed to protect communities from gun violence while safeguarding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes.
“Gun violence is a public health crisis,” said Senator Murray. “These two pieces of commonsense legislation will save lives by helping to keep weapons of war off our streets and out of the hands of people who intend to do harm. Washington state has led the way in passing meaningful gun reform legislation and it’s time for the federal government to catch up.”
“For too long, Congress has failed to stem the onslaught of mass shootings. Our work in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was critically important, but more must be done,” said Heinrich. “I’m introducing my GOSAFE and BUMP Acts to deliver on that unfinished work to save lives and make our communities safer. As a sportsman and gun owner, I’m committed to upholding the laws that protect responsible gun ownership, but we must do more to prevent deadly weapons from reaching those who are all too ready to turn them against our communities.”
The GOSAFE Act seeks to regulate firearms based on their inherently dangerous and unusually lethal mechanisms, as opposed to focusing on cosmetic features that manufacturers can easily modify.
In addition to Murray and Heinrich, the GOSAFE Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).
The text of the GOSAFE Act is here.
The BUMP Act seeks to prohibit the sale of bump stocks and other devices or modifications that allow semi-automatic firearms to increase their rate of fire and effectively operate as fully automatic weapons.
In addition to Murray and Heinrich, the BUMP Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Susan Collins (R-ME), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE.), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), Mark Kelly (D, AZ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA, Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).
A one-page summary of the BUMP Act is here.
The text of the BUMP Act is here.
Senator Murray has long pushed for stronger gun violence prevention legislation and to make progress wherever possible. She helped pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which includes provisions that take steps to close the “boyfriend loophole,” enhance background checks for gun purchasers under the age of 21, prohibit the use of federal education funding to purchase firearms or train in their use, school safety investments, investments in mental health access in schools and telehealth, and incentives for states to pass and administer red flag laws. Senator Murray has also pushed for popular reforms such as universal background checks, an assault weapons ban, extreme risk protection orders, and more.
Additionally, Senator Murray has repeatedly fought to invest federal resources in gun violence prevention research. Notably, in 2020, Murray helped usher in the first federal funding for gun violence prevention research in decades and has successfully fought to sustain that funding every year since.
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