A Recap of My Recent Efforts to Combat Gun Violence

Dear Friend,

As we approach the end of 2017, I want to provide you with an update on the efforts I am taking to address an issue that I know you care deeply about: Combatting the gun violence epidemic that has afflicted our nation. Nowhere is this more evident than in Chicago.

Throughout the past year, we've all witnessed the destructive and devastating power of gun violence, as well as the corresponding Congressional inaction that follows. According to one report from Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 14,400 deaths caused by guns in 2017 – including almost 4,000 children and teenagers. While there are no perfect solutions to eliminate all gun violence, we must go beyond thoughts and prayers and begin passing a number of common-sense steps that can tackle this deadly contagion.

Over the past month, I have been focused on making continued progress in this fight from a few different angles. In November, I introduced legislation that would require the Department of Justice to study the correlation between domestic violence and mass shootings. With the information resulting from the study, policymakers could re-examine current laws and craft new legislation to address this link. More recently, I re-introduced a bipartisan bill that would alert state and local law enforcement when criminals break the law attempting to acquire a gun. By strengthening partnerships between law enforcement officials at every level we can create an additional layer of protection to ensure weapons stay out of the hands of the wrong people. And just this week, I cast a vote in strong opposition to an NRA-backed bill to essentially nationalize concealed carry and override state laws. This bill, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, would allow people from out-of-state to disregard Illinois' strong gun laws and endanger public safety in our state.

As we turn our attention to new opportunities for action in 2018, I have been encouraged by the support and commitment from constituents like you. I have heard your concerns about this crisis—and I share them. Join me in fighting the gun violence epidemic in our country by sharing this message on Facebook, Twitter, or forwarding this email to others.

Sincerely,

Mike Quigley