Gun Reform
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez is a strong supporter of gun reform legislation. She supported the Bipartisan Gun Safety Bill that was signed into law in the summer of 2022. The bill expands background checks for prospective gun buyers between the ages of 18 and 21, expands an existing law that prevents people convicted of domestic abuse from owning a gun, includes funds to encourage states to create so-called red flag laws that would allow entities to petition a court to remove guns from anyone deemed to be a threat to themselves or others, and funds school safety measures and mental health. She also supports legislation that would establish new background check requirements for firearm transfers between private parties, as well as a bill that would make it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon or large-capacity ammunition feeding device, such as the guns used in the Uvalde shooting.
For more on the Congresswoman’s work on gun reform, please read on below.