Warner & Kaine Statement on Release of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, who served as Virginia’s Governor during the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, released the following statement after the release of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act text—based on a framework to reduce gun violence that was announced on June 12 and applauded by Warner and Kaine:

“Congress can no longer stand by as the scourge of gun violence tears apart communities. Following tragedy after tragedy, action to make our communities safer couldn’t be more urgent. We support this bipartisan legislation that will improve background checks for buyers under 21, strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence, and make significant investments in community-based mental health services. There is more that can—and must—be done to address gun violence, but we welcome this meaningful progress and look forward to voting for this bill soon.”

A summary of the bill is available here.

The bipartisan proposal includes similar provisions to those proposed by Warner and Kaine’s Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence, such as improving background checks, strengthening safeguards for victims of domestic violence, and incentivizing states to implement their own Extreme Risk Protection Orders to remove firearms from individuals who pose a high risk of harming themselves or others.

Full text of the bill is available here. 

###