Folks,

This past Sunday, 10 people were shot and 4 were killed at a football watch party in Fresno, California. And just a few days before that, a school shooting in Santa Clarita took the lives of 3 students.

As a nation, we’re watching gun violence take the lives of innocent children, women, and men all across the country. At what point do we stand up together and say ‘ENOUGH’?!

Let me promise you this, right here and right now:

Addressing the scourge of gun violence will be a priority for my administration. I pledge to take meaningful and significant action to reduce gun violence within the first 100 days of taking office.

I will not allow another day to go by while innocents are gunned down in their schools, offices, or places of worship.

If you’re with me and ready to see immediate action to end gun violence, please add your name today →

My plan to address gun violence has 6 prongs:

1. Universal background checks:
   
   Background checks work. In fact, they stopped over 112,000 illegal gun sales in 2017.
   
   It’s no wonder 97% of Americans agree we need universal background checks. But if 97% of us agree on something, why hasn't Congress done anything?
   
   Because special interests like the NRA are paying them not to. They're lying for money. I don't take NRA money (not that they're offering) so I'm giving you the truth.
   
   Under my administration, we will make sure that we institute the same standard for every single gun sale around the country, including at gun shows.
2. Assault Weapons Ban:
   
   High-powered, military-style assault weapons have no place on our streets. It’s as simple as that.
   
   Since the original assault weapons ban expired in 2004, mass shootings have become far more frequent and more deadly. Variations of the AR-15 have been used in some of America’s deadliest mass shootings, from Parkland to Sutherland Springs, to Orlando, and Newtown.
   
   Let my record speak for itself: I cosponsored the Assault Weapons Ban Act, which would ban semiautomatic weapons that have military-style features, including AR-15s. This legislation also includes a ban on high-capacity magazines.
   
   And under my administration, I will fight to make sure this critical Assault Weapons Ban legislation becomes law.
3. Bump Stocks:
   
   Bump stocks are gun accessories that allow individuals to modify standard semi-automatic rifles to mimic the rate of fire of a machine gun.
   
   This attachment was used in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting and is the reason it was the deadliest mass shooting in American history.
   
   Machine guns have been banned in the US for decades, and it is time that we prohibit accessories that can undermine this critical safety measure.
   
   I will support legislation to codify a new regulation that bans all accessories designed to increase the rate of fire of a semiautomatic weapon, including bump stocks and trigger cranks.
4. Extreme Risk Laws:
   
   When a person knows that a family member poses an immediate threat to themselves or others, they should have a legal means to protect themselves and others by temporarily restricting that person’s access to guns.
   
   This system has already been successfully implemented in Maryland, with bipartisan support.
   
   Under my presidency, I will introduce a national extreme risk protection order law that would provide financial incentives for state, local, and tribal governments that adopt extreme risk laws.
5. Boyfriend Loophole:
   
   Current federal law prevents certain convicted domestic abusers from buying guns. But the ban famously fails to cover instances of domestic violence in non-married couples.
   
   Intimate partner violence does not limit itself to married couples, and the gun safety measures in federal law shouldn’t be limited either.
   
   I intend to sign into law an updated version of the Violence Against Women Act that extends the ban on convicted domestic abusers buying firearms to cover non-spouse partners.
6. Gun Violence Research:
   
   For years, the Republican Congress -- bought and paid for by the NRA -- banned any and all CDC research into gun violence.
   
   When Democrats took back the House in 2018, that ban was finally lifted. But Congress still has not provided funding.
   
   Providing full support for federal research would help prevent violence and save lives. As president, I intend to ensure the CDC has the funding it needs to address this urgent issue.

With horrific news splashed across our TVs almost every day, I know it’s easy to simply fall into despair. But addressing gun violence is such a vital issue, and it’s important to know that there's a path forward.

The first step is electing leaders who are willing to take on the NRA. If you’re ready to see immediate action on gun violence, please add your name to stand with me:

https://go.johndelaney.com/Stop-Gun-Violence

We can end this if we all work together. I’m committed to doing my part -- will you do yours?

Thanks,
John