The House Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to approve a variety of gun control legislation, as Congress faces pressure to “do something” about gun violence in America following recent mass shootings in Odessa, Texas; Dayton, Ohio; and El Paso, Texas.
The committee approved measures to implement extreme risk protection orders, commonly known as red flag laws, a ban on possession of “high-capacity” magazines, and a ban on possession of firearms by individuals convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime.
“More than 35,000 Americans lose their lives every year to gun violence. Every day “In America, an average of 34 people are murdered by gun violence. Gun violence of this scale is a distinctly American problem. The comparison of countries is shocking. For example, in 2011, the United Kingdom had 146 deaths from gun violence; Denmark had 71; Portugal had 142; and Japan had just 30. But in the United States, more than 35,000. Even when you take into account differences in population, Americans are disproportionately killed by gun violence,” Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) said during the hearing.
“A recent study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that compared to 22 other high-income countries, the United States has a firearm homicide rate of 25 times higher,“Nadler explained. ‘The president and others are trying to blame gun violence on mental illness, but we know the United States does not have a rate of mental illness 25 times higher than the rest of the world. That is clearly not the source of our gun violence crisis.’
Republicans, including Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), spoke out against the proposal.
“I am concerned about this important issue, the issue of mass shootings and fighting the disastrous laws that plague our urban communities. I am prepared to work with you on sensible solutions that could actually prevent these atrocities. I am not willing to support legislation that will do nothing to make us safer while violating the rights and freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution,” Collins explained. “Unfortunately, all three bills we are considering today will do just that.”
According to Collins, while the Extreme Risk Protection Act may seem like a “common sense measure,” there are earnest problems, not least with the lack of due process.
As Congress considers national red flags, gun rights groups sound the alarm. The danger behind ERPO is lack of due process. Firearms are being confiscated before a hearing is held, and the gun owner can defend himself in court. But Democrats are assuring Second Amendment advocates that due process is, in fact, part of the bill coming out of committee.
