It is out of love for the living God and reverence for human life which is made in God’s image that The Episcopal Church calls upon Congress to act decisively to limit access to deadly firearms and invest in proven efforts to interrupt violence and make our communities safer.
In 2024, advocates were able to get some important gun violence provisions in the annual spending bill. The Undetectable Firearms Act was reauthorized through 2031, keeping it illegal to possess or manufacture guns which are undetectable by metal detectors and x-rays. The bill also included $50 million for the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative of the Department of Justice. The 117th Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which includes many bipartisan provisions to reduce gun violence, including support for mental health care.
So, we reiterate our urgent call for the 119th Congress to continue this fight against gun violence by supporting legislation that will add reasonable restrictions on firearm ownership, require universal background checks, eliminate loopholes, tighten laws against gun trafficking, require gun safety training, fund gun violence prevention programs, and address gun violence as a public health crisis.
Contact your members of Congress today to tell them to be strong advocates for ending gun violence!
Additional Resources
- “These 5 Save Lives” from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- The Disproportionate Impact of Gun Violence on Black Americans from Brady
- Bishops United Against Gun Violence
Some Episcopal Church Resolutions
- 2024-D011 - The Prohibition of Assault Weapons
- 2024-D014 - Declare Gun Violence a National Health Crisis
- 2022-B007 - Advocate for Funding to Support Community Violence Intervention Programs
- 2018-B005 – Advocate for Study of Gun Violence as a Public Health Crisis
- 2015-B008 – Support Handgun Purchaser Licensing
- 2015-C005 – Implement Laws to Decrease Gun Violence