Thousands of Americans die each year due to violence, suicide, or accidents involving firearms, and the unwillingness of some lawmakers to address this problem has left our citizens and our children vulnerable. As a former federal law enforcement officer, I used to carry a firearm every day for my job, and I support responsible gun ownership and our Second Amendment, but the ever-increasing number of Americans who die each day requires that we take action.

Addressing gun violence and protecting lives should not be a partisan issue; it is a public safety issue. I am a cosponsor of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and support the application of the same background checks for all firearm purchases, regardless of where or from whom the purchases are made. States that require background checks for all purchases have fewer suicides by gun, fewer law enforcement officers shot and killed, and fewer women killed by an intimate partner. Ninety-four percent of Americans support background checks for all firearms purchases, as well as the Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence and the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police.

During my first term in Congress, I have been proud to support commonsense gun policies like closing the Charleston Loophole and Extreme Risk Protective Orders. The implementation of Gun Violence Restraining Orders allow family, friends, and law enforcement to help people facing crisis who, with a firearm in their possession, might be a risk to themselves or others. I support ensuring that states have the ability to provide current information to the NICS database to ensure informed background checks, and I support funding the research of gun violence as a public health issue. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. Members of Congress must have the courage to address this problem and implement policies that will help keep our children and communities safe.

• Cosponsored and helped pass the Bipartisan Background Checks Act to require universal background checks on all firearm purchases
• Voted to pass the Enhanced Background Checks Act, which would close the Charleston Loophole
• Member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
• Cosponsored legislation to fund gun violence prevention research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Cosponsored the Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety (TAPS) Act to prevent targeted violence directed against children, law enforcement, and communities