John,
Last month, Democrats and Republicans came together to enact the
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act – a bill that established stronger gun safety measures like enhanced background checks and red flag laws.
But the tragic mass shooting in Highland Park, IL over the Fourth of July weekend was a stark reminder that we have so much more work to do. We learned that an AR-15-style assault weapon was used in the attack and
purchased legally. That's despite the fact that the shooter had two prior brushes with law enforcement that should have been flagged in multiple background checks.
Today, I wanted to take a moment to share more about my personal experience with assault weapons and explain why I support removing them from our communities.
I've spent over a decade in the Navy and I know my way around guns. I earned an expert ribbon for the M9 Beretta and a sharpshooter ribbon for the M4 carbine, upon which semi-automatic AR-15 assault weapons are modeled.
It has always baffled me why Republicans -- including some who've never held an AR-15 -- think it's just fine that they can be so easily obtained by criminals. These are highly lethal weapons of war designed to kill people -- not ducks or clay pigeons. We need to do everything we can to keep them off our streets and out of the hands of criminals.
Our Orange County community cares deeply about public safety and gun violence prevention. Yet, my opponent Michelle Steel has taken every opportunity to vote against common sense background checks. It's quite shocking until you learn that her position on guns has earned her an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association. The gun lobby has been one of her strongest backers.
In Congress, I'll stand up to the gun lobby and be a strong, qualified voice in Congress for expanding common-sense measures to address this epidemic. Until then, my thoughts are with those in Highland Park and the unimaginable suffering they are experiencing. It’s my sincere hope that an attack like this never occurs in our community -- or anywhere else.
Thank you,
Jay
