Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) and House Democrats passed the H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act, a package of commonsense bills to address the rise of gun violence. Tomorrow, Rep. Castor will support House passage of H.R. 2377, the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, which would allow family members and law enforcement officers to petition a federal court for an extreme risk protection order to temporarily remove access to firearms for an individual who is deemed a danger to themselves or others by the court.

Tomorrow night, join Rep. Castor for a community telephone town hall to listen to community advocates and take questions from neighbors on how to prevent gun violence. We will hear firsthand from Tampa families impacted by gun violence. Details are available here.

“Our nation is grappling with solutions to reduce mass shootings and everyday gun violence, including young elementary school students in Texas and New Yorkers shopping at their local supermarket. The City of Tampa has experienced multiple deadly shootings this week, and our neighbors have come together to say no more. The loss of life, debilitating injuries, and families torn apart by the scourge of gun violence on our streets, in our stores, and in our schools must be stopped. I am more committed than ever to passing laws to stop the senseless bloodshed and save lives.

“A large bipartisan majority of Americans agree that weapons of war do not belong on the streets and that people in all communities should be kept safe, and action by the Democratic-led House to bring legislation swiftly to the floor this week will answer the call of Americans of all stripes to get military-style weapons off the streets and out of the hands of those who should not have them. Now it is time for the Senate to act - including Florida Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio - and quit blocking House-passed bills to enhance background checks and close loopholes. In the days ahead, the eyes of all Americans will be on Republicans to see which they put first: their political survival or the survival of our children.

“Kimberly Rubio’s heartbreaking testimony just days after the death of her 10-year-old daughter, Lexi, in Uvalde at a House hearing today laid the truth bare for all Americans. ‘Somewhere out there, there's a mom listening to our testimony, thinking I can't even imagine their pain, not knowing that our reality will one day be hers unless we act now.’ Kimberly is right. There is no time to wait – the Senate must join the House in our urgent action and send these lifesaving bills to President Biden’s desk. Our children are counting on us to act… Their lives depend on it.”

The Protecting Our Kids Act keeps Americans safe by:

• Raising the purchasing age for semi-automatic weapons from 18 to 21 years old (Title 1)
• Cracking down on gun trafficking and straw purchases to get illegal guns off of our streets (Title 2)
• Subjecting ghost gun purchases to background check requirements (Title 3)
• Strengthening safe storage requirements to protect children from accidental shootings (Title 4)
• Closing the bump stock loophole to ban these deadly tools from civilian use (Title 5)
• Outlawing high-capacity magazines, which are designed for killing en masse and have been the accessory of choice in the bloodiest mass shootings (Title 6)
• Requiring an annual report of demographic data of those being determined to be ineligible to purchase guns (Title 7)

Since 2018, House Democrats have twice passed the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and the Enhanced Background Checks Act.  Together, these bills would secure universal background checks for all gun purchases – supported by nearly nine in ten Americans.