U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick released a statement following the passage of H.R. 7910, known as the Protecting Our Kids Act. It would ensure that individuals under 21 years of age cannot purchase weapons of war. It would also make firearms trafficking a distinct Federal crime, giving prosecutors the tools they need to hold accountable the people responsible for the flow of firearms to the hands of criminals.
Fitzpatrick said, “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.”
