Representative Sherrill Statement on President Biden’s Executive Actions on Gun Violence Prevention

Washington, DC — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) released the following statement in response to executive actions taken today by President Joe Biden to address gun safety:

“I am heartened to see the action that President Joe Biden and his administration took on the issue of gun violence prevention today,” said Rep. Sherrill. “Not only did he sign meaningful executive actions that will address key enforcement loopholes, but he reaffirmed his commitment to the overwhelmingly popular gun safety legislation we have been leading on in Congress. From universal background checks to closing the boyfriend loophole, these are common sense reforms that I’ve fought for since my first day in office. It’s beyond time for the Senate to take up this legislation and pass it. It will keep our communities safe and finally help us address the ongoing epidemic of gun violence.”

Last month, Rep. Sherrill once again voted to take action on gun violence in three key pieces of legislation.

H.R. 8, The Bipartisan Background Check Act of 2021, which was the first bill Rep. Sherrill cosponsored during her first term in Congress, requires a background check for every gun purchase, including online purchases and those made at gun shows. H.R. 1446, The Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021 aims to close the “Charleston Loophole.” Currently, under federal law, if the FBI has not completed a background check within the mandated three day waiting period, the seller can go through with the sale before the results of the check are determined. This loophole allowed murderer Dylan Roof to obtain a firearm and kill nine churchgoers in Charleston in 2015. This bill would prevent gun sales like that one from happening again. The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 (VAWA), of which Rep. Sherrill is an original cosponsor, includes provisions that would close the boyfriend loophole.

Rep. Sherrill is a former Navy helicopter pilot and former federal prosecutor. She qualified as an expert shot in the rifle and pistol in the U.S. Navy and, as a federal prosecutor, worked to keep illegal guns off the streets of New Jersey. As a member of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, Rep. Sherrill helped secure $25 million in landmark funding for the CDC to study gun violence and prevention.

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