The U.S. House of Representatives approved a new series of gun safety measures in the wake of several mass shootings, including one that killed 19 students and two teachers at a school in Uvalde, Texas.
The package of bills is designed to tighten gun laws, including increasing the minimum age to buy semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 and bar civilians from using high-capacity magazines. It would also set standards for storage of firearms, increase penalties for gun trafficking, and alter the definition of so-called “ghost guns.”
The package of legislation passed Wednesday with a 223-204 vote. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, of Middletown Township, was among five Republicans to break with his party to support the Democratic-backed legislation.
Fitzpatrick said in a statement that he supports the Second Amendment, but also backs policies that push “responsible gun ownership.” He added lawmakers need to take a multi-layered approach to reduce gun violence.
“We must protect mentally healthy, law-abiding citizens’ right to protect and defend themselves, their families, their homes and their communities, and we must also prevent mentally ill individuals and criminals from gaining access to firearms and causing harm to others. If we’re going to stop the violence plaguing our nation, we must all accept these basic premises,” he said in a statement posted to his website.
NBC News reported Republican lawmakers received an email encouraging members to vote against the legislation. It called the package of bills the “Unconstitutional Gun Restrictions Act.”
The legislation is not expected to move forward in the U.S. Senate, but lawmakers there are discussing some lesser gun regulations, according to The Hill.
Fitzpatrick said in his statement that he is “working actively with the Senate” on legislation.
Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, called on the U.S. Senate to pass the package and commended the U.S. House for passing the bills.
“Americans have had enough gun violence-fueled tragedy and death, and I commend the House for pressing forward and passing this package of legislation that undoubtedly has the potential to save lives,” Wolf said in a statement. “Now, we all look to the U.S. Senate to stand up for Americans, we are all counting on you to vote like the lives of our children, our future, depend on it.”
In an emotional prime time address last week, President Joe Biden called on lawmakers to pass legislation to curb gun violence.
“It’s time to act,” Biden said. “For the children we have lost. For the children we can save. For the nation we love. Let’s meet the moment. It’s time to act.”
An ABC News/Ipsos poll from the weekend showed 70 percent of Americans support enacting laws to reduce gun violence.
Below is Fitzpatrick’s full statement on the passage of the legislation:
While the House-passed measures tonight are far from perfect, they are a necessary step to incentivize the Senate to finally advance a bipartisan proposal that will address the legislative component of school and community safety, once and for all. Let me be clear: I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and all of the protections that it entails. I also believe that we have no higher responsibility as leaders, no higher responsibility as human beings, than to protect our children and to keep our community safe. These are not and must not be mutually exclusive concepts.
Our policies should support responsible gun ownership. We must protect mentally healthy, law-abiding citizens’ right to protect and defend themselves, their families, their homes and their communities, and we must also prevent mentally ill individuals and criminals from gaining access to firearms and causing harm to others. If we’re going to stop the violence plaguing our nation, we must all accept these basic premises.
If we are committed to this goal, we must simultaneously address the legislative component, the mental health component and the physical security component that is driving these tragedies. Addressing one without the others will not solve this problem. Tonight’s measures begin the conversation to address the legislative piece in a bipartisan, bicameral manner. I urge our Senate colleagues to rise to the challenge so that we can protect both our constitutional rights and our community’s safety. I am working actively with the Senate on these goals. We can and must accomplish both.
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