UnidosUS Applauds Bipartisan Passage of Gun Safety Bill, Urges Additional Action to Reduce Epidemic of Gun Violence

WASHINGTON, DC— Following today’s final passage of a bipartisan federal bill reforming the nation’s gun laws, Janet Murguía, President and CEO of UnidosUS issued the following statement: 

“We applaud the bipartisan gun violence legislation passed today that invests in mental health resources and crisis intervention programs; expands background checks for firearm purchasers under 21 years old; closes the ‘boyfriend loophole;’ and invests in the implementation of ‘extreme risk’ laws. This law is an important first step in stopping the plague of gun violence and the ensuing trauma in our communities.  

“We acknowledge that this law’s actions do not go far enough, and that it took an event as horrific and senseless as the shooting of schoolchildren in Uvalde, Texas to make even this very modest legislation a reality. Yet we also believe that we must support a bill that is the first meaningful gun reform bill in nearly 30 years—that garnered the support of 15 Republican senators and 14 Republican representatives, allowing it to move forward despite gun extremist opposition; that provides $15 billion in additional funding to address the public health crisis that is gun violence; and that will make our children and our communities safer. 

“It is our hope that in the very near future, Congress will act to make us safer still. This means also enacting long overdue, common sense gun safety laws that protect our schools and other sensitive locations and include liability for gun manufacturers, a ban on assault weapons, as well as licensing and background checks. Similar measures are widely supported by Latino voters. We must also make further long-term and community-based investments to expand mental health services to all who need it.”