Background Checks

In the wake of a week of racist, terroristic mass shootings, here's a look at the status of the new firearms bills introduced at the beginning of the year.

Twenty-six Democrats in the House joined Republicans to pass a provision requiring that vendors notify ICE when background checks reveal gun applicants to be undocumented.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holds a press conference with former Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords and Representative Mike Thompson (D-California) to introduce legislation expanding background checks for gun sales at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on January 8th, 2019.

A quick look at the regulations and numbers doesn't necessarily suggest the state's laws are useless.

Congressional leaders intend to include a bipartisan measure called Fix National Instant Criminal Background System, which addresses the thoroughness of gun-purchase background checks by encouraging state use of criminal databases.

A new study shows just how easily lawmakers could abate our national gun crisis.

Will simply explaining current law more clearly help save lives?

For the most part, yes.

New legislation would increase CDC funding for gun violence research from zero dollars to $10 million. The NRA calls the push “unethical” and an “abuse of taxpayer funds.”

Since Congress pressured the CDC to stop funding research on gun violence, Dr. Garen Wintemute has donated more than $1.1 million of his own money to keep his research going.