Dear Friends,

Much has happened over the past few weeks, and I’ve been working tirelessly to address some of the most pressing issues facing our city and our country. As Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, I’m leading the fight in Washington to protect the right to choose an abortion and defend our country from the rise of gun violence and domestic terrorism.

Protecting Our Children from Gun Violence

In the long, sad days since the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, I have been rallying my colleagues to take decisive action to address the scourge of gun violence in America.

On June 2^nd, I called my colleagues to Washington for an emergency House Judiciary Committee markup to send my bill, H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act, to the House floor. While some may say it is too soon to act or that we are "politicizing" these tragedies to enact new policies, it has been 23 years since Columbine, 15 years since Virginia Tech, 10 years since Sandy Hook, 4 years since Parkland, just a few weeks since Buffalo and Uvalde, and who knows how long until the next one. In response, I say to my colleagues:

Too soon? What the hell are you waiting for?

The Protecting Our Kids Act would:

• Raise the age to purchase a semiautomatic assault rifle from 18 to 21 years old.
• Crack down on gun trafficking.
• Establish safety requirements for firearm storage.
• Ban ghost guns, high-capacity magazines, and bump stocks.

On June 8^th, I was proud to lead the passage of the Protecting Our Kids Act in the House. On the very next day, we passed a bill to enact a national "Red Flag" law, which would prevent those who pose a threat to themselves or others from possessing firearms. While these bills would not, alone, save every life we will lose to gun violence this year, it would save some. The American people are begging for Congress to address this crisis. I urge the Senate to act quickly to pass sensible, overwhelmingly popular proposals that will help us scale back the scope of gun violence in the United States.

Combatting the Rise of Domestic Terror and White Supremacy

The Uvalde shooting follows yet another mass shooting a few weeks ago when a gunman, inspired by hateful white supremacist rhetoric, murdered 10 Black Americans in Buffalo, NY. This is just one of the most recent incidents of domestic terrorism this year.

This is not right. This is not normal. This is not consistent with who we are as a country.

That’s why I am particularly proud to have shepherded the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act through the House Judiciary Committee to passage out of the House. This bill will create 3 new offices that will monitor, investigate, and prosecute cases of domestic terrorism by:

• Providing training and resources to local law enforcement agencies in understanding, detecting, and deterring acts of domestic terrorism and violent white supremacy.
• Sending biannual reports to Congress assessing the state of terrorism threats.
• Focusing resources on the most significant threats based on the data collected.
• Protecting First Amendment rights to religious and political activity.

Recent white supremacist attacks have reminded minority communities across the country of a dark history we have not yet escaped. Every part of the country deserves a responsive, well-trained response to this kind of violence, and I am proud of my work to get this bill passed.

Defending Access to Abortion Care

At the beginning of May, in an unprecedented leak of a draft opinion from the Supreme Court, we learned that—for the first time in its history—the Court may be on the precipice of overturning precedent to take away a constitutional right. Doing so would revoke the constitutional right to abortion—a fundamental right it first recognized almost 50 years ago in Roe v. Wade and one that millions of Americans have relied on for half a century.

That's why last month, I led a Judiciary Committee hearing titled "Revoking Your Rights: The Ongoing Crisis in Abortion Care Access," to explore the adverse effects that this draconian ruling would have on women's health.

Legal and accessible abortion continues to be fundamental to individual equality, autonomy, and personal liberty. We cannot go backward. So far this year, I've passed legislation in the House to ensure that every woman, regardless of geographic location, income, race, or any other factor, retains her constitutional right to access abortion, contraception, and IVF. Now, the Senate must act to safeguard Americans' freedom to make decisions about their reproductive health.

I'm proud to support reproductive freedom, and I plan on using every tool at my disposal to make sure that the constitutional right to abortion is protected.

Fighting to End Excessive Helicopter Noise

For decades, New Yorkers have been plagued by excessive, non-essential helicopter traffic that endangers lives and creates intolerable noise pollution from river to river. On May 15th, I introduced the Helicopter Safety and Noise Management Act at the East 34th Street Heliport, one of the primary starting points for tourist flights.

If signed into law, this bill will force the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to work with local officials and advocates to cut down on non-essential flights. Despite the mounting evidence and my repeated calls for the FAA to act, FAA has failed on this issue, and this bill will right that wrong.

This bill builds on other efforts, including my Safe and Quiet Skies Act, to place much-needed restrictions on commercial air tour operations. With over 30 crashes since 1980 alone, many of which have been fatal, eliminating tourist and charter flights will undoubtedly make our airspace safer. The safety and well-being of New Yorkers cannot be compromised for the sake of tourism or convenience— which is why I’ll continue to work to end these reckless joyrides over New York City.

I hope you find this update on my work for you helpful. If I can ever be of assistance with a federal issue or any other matter of concern, please contact me by email at nadler.house.gov/contact or call one of my offices listed below.

Sincerely,

JERROLD NADLER

Member of Congress