House Gun Violence Task Force Chair Announces Appointment

Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) has been appointed by Chairman Mike Thompson (CA-05) to serve on a congressional Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. In December, Thompson was named by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to chair a congressional task force on reducing and preventing gun violence.

The task force is focused on developing a comprehensive set of policy proposals to reduce and prevent gun violence. Specific issue areas the task force will address include: examining sensible restrictions on firearms while protecting the 2nd Amendment rights of responsible gun owners, closing gaps in our mental health care system, strengthening our background check system, and addressing violence in our culture.

"While the accident that nearly took my life reminds me that we cannot prevent every gun-related incident, it also leaves me at a loss that we have not taken every possible action to stop the wrong people from acquiring the most destructive firearms and ammunition," said Langevin. "We need to take a comprehensive approach to cut down on gun violence and I look forward to working with members of the Task Force to make our streets and communities safer. As part of this effort, next week, I will be announcing legislation that would strengthen the inspections process of gun dealers and increase penalties for improper compliance."

"The members of our task force have an extensive range of expertise, come from diverse backgrounds and will each bring fresh and different ideas to the table," said Thompson. "Working together, we can put policies in place that reduce and prevent gun violence while also protecting law-abiding individuals' 2nd Amendment right to own firearms."

Over the next several weeks the task force will hold a number of meetings and hearings designed to identify the best policies to reduce and prevent gun violence. The task force will meet with and hear from law enforcement officers, gun owners and sportsmen groups, gun manufactures and gun retailers, mental health experts, gun violence prevention groups, members of the entertainment industry, education organizations and other experts and stakeholders.

A comprehensive set of policy proposals will be released by the task force in early February.