WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement:
“I applaud President Biden for once again taking strong action to end America’s epidemic of gun violence through today’s executive action which directs federal agencies to improve school-based active shooter drills and combat the emerging threats of machine gun conversion devices and ‘ghost guns,’ unserialized, 3D-printed firearms.
“The Biden Administration has consistently taken the lead in combatting gun violence, but Congress must also do its part to end this national crisis. That is why I have always worked with my colleagues in the Senate to combat this problem, including sending to President’s Biden’s desk the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which included millions of dollars in funding for school safety and mental health support.
“Children deserve to feel safe in their schools; worshipers in their houses of worship; and all Americans deserve to be free from gun violence in our communities. The Biden Administration has done its part, now it is once again time for Congress to muster the political will to pass laws that will truly help protect our communities and save lives.”
Since his early days in public service, Booker has seen the devastating impact of gun violence firsthand. He is the only Senator who goes home to a low-income community that is disproportionately affected by violent crime caused by the easy availability of guns. As a result, Booker has been a forceful advocate for common-sense gun safety laws during his time in the Senate. Booker took the lead on combatting the emerging threat of ghost guns. In 2022, he and his colleagues sent a letter to YouTube calling for the tech company to remove videos that guide viewers on how to manufacture and assemble unserialized, untraceable ghost guns. And in 2021, he led a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merick Garland expressing concern about the use and proliferation of devices that can convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic weapons, machine guns, calling on the Department of Justice to work with state and local law enforcement to address the problem. He also introduced the Federal Firearm Licensing Act which would require individuals to obtain a firearm license before purchasing or receiving a firearm.