Jackson Lee: “Americans are demanding action to prevent the recurrence of mass carnage in our schools, places of worship, workplaces, and public spaces that results when military-style weapons like the AR-15 are obtained by mentally unstable persons. My Gun Safety Not Sorry Act imposes a common-sense 7-day waiting period on the purchase of such weapons and is regarded by Newsweek as the legislative proposal most likely to win passage in the Congress and be signed into law.”

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security, and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, released the following statement today calling upon the President to embrace and support H.R. 4268, the Gun Safety Not Sorry Act, as a practical and achievable measure to reduce the incidence of mass shootings plaguing the United States:

“The time for responding to mass shootings with thoughts and prayers has long since passed. The time for responding with effective legislation is now. I call upon the President to support and commit his Administration to securing passage of H.R. 4268, the “Gun Safety Not Sorry Act,” legislation I have introduced that would impose a 7-day waiting, or “cooling-off,” period prior to the purchase or transfer of ownership of a semiautomatic firearm, silencers, armor piercing ammunition, or large capacity ammunition magazines. According to Newsweek, the “Gun Safety Not Sorry Act” is the No. 1 legislative proposal that Congress can and should pass right now in the wake of the horrific Valentine’s Day mass shooting at the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

“We are at a watershed moment. Americans are demanding action from their elected officials to end or reduce the scourge of gun violence, which claims the lives of 33,000 persons annually. Americans cannot understand how it is legally possible for a 19-year old mentally unstable person to purchase such a highly lethal weapon such as the AR-15 assault rifle and then uses that weapon to slaughter 17 high school students.

“The ‘Gun Safety Not Sorry Act’ will not abridge the Second Amendment, it will not take away gun rights, and it does impose greater restrictions on gun ownership. It will not stop all mass shootings but it will help. 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.

“A recent Quinnipiac poll found that 97% of Americans support stronger background checks, which includes additional time to ensure that dangerous weapons stay out of the hands of dangerous persons. The President should publicly embrace and support H.R. 4268, the Gun Safety Not Sorry Act and deliver a much needed and wanted win for the American people.”