The 114th Congress will be meeting for only a short time before adjourning, so quick grassroots action is required. Congress needs to pass legislation that closes a loophole to prevent abusers from obtaining guns. The Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protections Act of 2015 (H.R.1217), a bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and three Republicans with 184 Democrats, must be voted on in the remaining days that Congress is in session to protect survivors of intimate partner violence. Currently, certain abusers are prohibited from owning firearms, but they can obtain these weapons easily from private sellers who are not required to conduct background checks. The bill amends the Brady Act to require background checks for all gun sales.
According to the Violence Policy Center, approximately 1,000 women are killed annually by male intimate violence, and abused women are five times more likely to be killed by their abuser if the abuser owns a firearm. Email your representative below and call Speaker Ryan (202-225-3031) to ask them to support the bill and show solidarity with survivors of intimate partner violence.