U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- When eight House Democrats announced a new gun control measure called the “Protecting Our Communities Act,” as reported by The Hill, they left out one important component: the text.
AmmoLand checked for the language in H.R. 3299 and it hadn’t been posted despite declarations from Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) and colleagues that the bill is “a package of common-sense efforts to close obvious loopholes in America’s gun laws, prevent mass shootings, and protect law enforcement officers and the public from high-powered, rapid-firing and untraceable weapons.”
That description of this legislation, which at this writing, consists of a title-only void, (presumably to be filled shortly) contains enough boilerplate hyperbole to delight any gun prohibitionist. It also demonstrates the danger of “title-only” bills. It allows sponsors to make things up essentially on the fly.
There is a benefit to reading all of the pronouncements. They allow an inside look at the mindset of anti-gunners whose interests just might collide with the Constitution.
Here are some excerpts:
Rep. Val Demings (FL-10): “I call on Congress to immediately advance and pass these common-sense reforms to stop mass shooters, slow the flow of untraceable weapons into our communities, and protect law enforcement officers. Despite the lies and screeches from the scandal-ridden NRA, the truth is that the vast majority of American agree that criminals shouldn’t be able to buy a gun or download one, that weapons which fire through police officers’ ballistic vests should be tightly and rightly controlled, and that weapon modifications that allow shooters to fire hundreds of rounds a minute simply have no place on our streets. I’m proud to join with my colleagues on this commonsense legislation. Let’s get this done and save lives.”
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18): “This bill is necessary to address urgent issues such as ghost guns, individuals at extreme risk for committing gun violence, and concealable assault weapons. In addition, I intend to focus on other firearms issues, such as safe gun storage, as we in Congress take steps to pass additional gun violence prevention legislation.”
Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04), “Over the past two decades, gun violence tragedies have grown exponentially, devastating communities across this country, including southwest Oregon. While I’ve pushed for sensible solutions for years, Congress has failed to pass comprehensive gun violence prevention reforms to address this epidemic. It’s well-past time for Congress to finally enact common-sense solutions to close dangerous loopholes, help prevent mass shootings, and protect our families, friends, neighbors, and dedicated law enforcement officers so we can make our communities safer.”
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13): “Closing loopholes to ensure that people who should not have guns cannot get guns is common sense and will save lives. Ghost guns are guns, plain and simple. They pose a serious concern for communities around the nation as well as for law enforcement agencies, who are often unable to trace these kits. I am proud that my bill, the Ghost Guns Are Guns Act, is part of this critical legislative gun violence prevention package. I look forward to continuing my work with my colleagues to ensure we implement comprehensive change that would close these loopholes, expand background checks, and improve the overall safety of our communities by making it more difficult for these weapons to fall into the wrong hands.”
Rep. Joe Neguse (CO-2): “Inaction on gun violence is simply not an option. Our communities in Colorado and across the nation have felt the pain and grief of senseless acts of violence far too many times, and these incidents demand a response. The Protecting Our Communities Act combines several common-sense, urgently needed gun violence prevention measures to close existing loopholes, protect our communities and save lives…We’ve lost far too many lives at the hands of mass shootings. We must find the willpower and the urgency to act for our kids and for our future.”
Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-5): “I’m pleased to have worked with my colleagues to introduce a gun reform package aimed at protecting our neighborhoods and ensuring that weapons stay out of the wrong hands. My hope is that these reforms will save lives and prevent further gun violence. I also want to thank my colleagues for including my bill in this package and I look forward to seeing it move through our democratic legislative process.”
Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5): “Tackling the scourge of gun violence requires that the Administration and Congress work together to keep guns out of the hands of those who may be a danger to themselves or others. That’s why today I’m proud to be an original coauthor of Representative Demings’ Protecting Our Communities Act, an important bill that will crack down on unregulated ghost guns and dangerous concealable assault rifles like the one used in the recent shooting in Boulder, prohibit bump stocks by law and boost the background checks system to notify state and local law enforcement when felons and others prohibited from purchasing a gun try to buy one. This is a critical bill in our work to keep our communities safe and I’m proud to support it as Chairman of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.”
Rep. Ted Deutch (FL-22), “It’s been decades since Congress passed any meaningful updates to our gun laws, and existing enforcement regimes are failing to meet the challenges we’re facing today. Law enforcement officers understand these challenges more than most…We have no time to waste to pass focused reforms that can make a real difference in our communities and save lives.”
These names should be remembered in November 2022. They make good sales pitches, but will they be able to keep a single firearm out of the hands of a single criminal? The history of gun control suggests they will not.
There was an additional name in the Demings news release, not a member of Congress but from the gun prohibition lobby. The inclusion of his comment is enough to erase any doubt about where the loyalties of Capitol Hill Democrats lay.
Nick Suplina, Everytown’s Managing Director of Law and Policy, “The common-sense measures in this package address some of the most urgent threats to public safety. Vice Chair Demings has long been a champion for gun safety, from helping lead the House Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce to introducing today’s important legislation.”
Evidently, concerns about missing text are premature. Everytown, the billionaire-backed gun control lobbying group, will supply the wish list.
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