Each day more than 100 Americans die in an incident of gun violence, on average that is more than 45,000 gun-deaths each year. Furthermore, on average, over 110,000 people in the United States are shot every year, including about 8,000 teens and children.

Gun violence is an epidemic. For more than three decades, David Cicilline has been a champion of commonsense legislation to reduce gun violence.

As a founding member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, David led the City of Providence to its lowest crime rate in more than 40 years. As a member of Congress, he has taken on the powerful gun lobby and demanded action that will keep guns out of the hands of children, criminals, and those who are a danger to themselves or others.

As a member of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, David has championed efforts in the House to support the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, commonsense legislation to ensure universal background checks keep guns out of the hands of those who should not own them. And he backed the Enhanced Background Checks Act, which passed the House and provides additional time for the FBI to complete a background check before licensed gun dealers can transfer firearms.

David also supported the Safer Communities Act, the first comprehensive piece of gun violence prevention legislation made into law in several decades that will invest money into mental health and school protection, as well as close the “boyfriend” loophole, strengthen background checks, and enhance background checks for those under 21 purchasing assault rifles.

David has also authored numerous key pieces of gun violence legislation:

• He introduced the Assault Weapons Ban of 2021, which would prohibit the production and purchase of new assault-style weapons that are designed to kill as many people as quickly as possible. And Cicilline has worked hard to achieve record support for the bill, gathering 210 co-sponsors.
• He authored the Untraceable Firearms Act, legislation to crack down on “ghost guns” -- untraceable firearms that can be purchased online and assembled at home without a background check and are increasingly being used in crime across the United States. This legislation was included in the “Protecting Our Kids Act” package, which passed the House on June 8, 2022.
• He authored and introduced a key piece of bipartisan public safety legislation -- the Active Shooter Alert Act -- to give law enforcement the tools they need to send alerts to people’s smartphones when an active shooter is in the area and posing a threat to the community. This legislation is endorsed by major law enforcement agencies, including the Fraternal Order of Police, National Sheriffs’ Association, National Association of Police Officers, and Rhode Island Chiefs of Police Association, among others.
• He has also introduced legislation to alert local police departments when a gun is purchased by a person is prohibited from owning a firearms; to prohibit anyone convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime from purchasing a gun; to close loopholes gun sellers can use to sell their inventory without a background check; and to encourage safe storage practices in homes with children.

Although many Republicans refuse to take up House-passed commonsense proposals, David is going to continue to stand up, speak out, and keep pressing for laws that will protect children and families in Rhode Island and across the country from the tragedy of gun violence.