Senator Tom Killion, a staunch supporter of gun safety laws, praised the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a bill to expand background checks for gun purchases.
The bipartisan legislation, House Resolution 8, passed by a vote of 240 to 190. This is the first major gun safety bill to pass in the U.S. House or Senate in over two decades.
“This vote was historic, and I thank every member of the U.S. House who proudly stood up for gun safety,” said Killion. “Americans support universal background checks by a significant margin. I’m glad Congress is finally taking action to ensure that guns don’t fall into the hands of dangerous people,” he added.
Killion is one of three co-prime sponsors of Senate Bill 88. This legislation calls for universal background checks for firearms purchased in Pennsylvania. The other authors of the legislation are Senators Vince Hughes and Steve Santarsiero.
Killion, who has also proposed other gun safety bills during the current legislative session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, believes gun violence has become a national epidemic in the United States.
According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 100 people die every day from gun violence in this country, nearly two thirds of whom are gun suicides. In Pennsylvania, there are 1,500 firearm-related deaths each year, with 62% of them being suicides.
Killion said, “Universal background checks are one of several ways we can reduce gun violence in Pennsylvania and across the country. We absolutely must do everything possible to end this violence. I thank the U.S. House for making gun safety a priority for our families.”
For more information, contact Shannon Royer at sroyer@pasen.gov or (717) 787-4712.
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