Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations released the following statement after introducing H.R. 4268, the ‘Gun Safety: Not Sorry Act of 2017’:

“We cannot afford another angry person in possession of military style weapons, nor can we bear the consequences of another person consumed by hatred wielding firepower intended to inflict maximum carnage. The blood that has been shed in America runs deep with too many lives lost and too many families shattered.

“That is why I have introduced H.R. 4268, the ‘Gun Safety: Not Sorry Act of 2017’, which seeks to address some of the most egregious oversights in current gun laws. H.R. 4268 provides for a 7-day waiting period before a semiautomatic firearm, a silencer, armor piercing ammunition, or a large capacity ammunition magazine may be purchased or transferred ownership. H.R. 4268 has 12 co-sponsors including the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman John Conyers.

“Handgun waiting periods impose a delay between the initiation of a purchase and final acquisition of a firearm. The greater the waiting time, the more effective the cooling off period among buyers and the more lives saved from gun violence.

“Each year, guns claim the lives of nearly 34,000 Americans. The President’s repeated suggestion that mental illness is to blame for most gun violence in America is offensive and belies scientific evidence. According to a 2015 study by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, only 4 percent of gun deaths were attributed to mental health.

“The ‘Gun Safety: Not Sorry Act’ will not abridge the Second Amendment, take away gun rights, nor impose greater restrictions on gun ownership, BUT it would significantly reduce gun homicides. According to an October 2017 Harvard University study, the adoption of a national waiting period, from 1994 to 1998 under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, led to a 17 percent drop in gun homicides.

“Handgun purchase waiting periods in 17 states, Texas not being one of them, prevent about 750 gun deaths each year in the United States. An estimated 910 gun deaths could also be avoided if those policies were adopted nationwide.

“No longer can politicians hide behind NRA talking points. The American people will not tolerate it. We need sensible gun safety legislation, and that is what the ‘Gun Safety: Not Sorry Act’ provides.”