GUN SILENCER BILL: Demand Opposition

Aug 3, 2017

Prevention of Gun Violence & Violence Against Women Working Group C2A

THE BASICS
Gun silencers pose a significant danger, making it harder for bystanders or law enforcement to identify and react quickly to gunshots. A new bill making its way through congress would gut regulations that have kept silencers out of the hands of criminals for more than 80 years. Call your MoC and demand that they oppose this dangerous bill, and that they allow the CDC to resume research on the epidemic of gun violence.

THE ISSUE
The loud and distinctive noise that a gun makes is one of its most important safety features: when people hear it, they realize they may need to run, hide, or protect others. Gun silencers eliminate this critical alert, making it easier for active shooters to conceal their location, and hampering the efforts of citizens and law enforcement to respond quickly. With the full-throated support of law enforcement organizations, gun silencers have been regulated for more than 80 years. Now a new bill backed by the NRA and the gun industry seeks to make silencers widely available, threatening public safety at a time when deaths from gun violence continue to rise. HR 367 and its senate companion S.59 — given the disingenuous title of “The Hearing Protection Act of 2017” — would enable felons, domestic abusers, and the mentally ill to buy silencers with no background check. Silencers are not used to protect gun owners’ hearing. If that were true, silencers would be standard issue for law enforcement and military personnel. In fact, law enforcement organizations have repeatedly opposed the rollback of silencer safety laws. Not only do they pose a threat to public safety, but they also increase the risk to law enforcement officers.

THE ACTION
Contact your MoC and ask them to OPPOSE The Hearing Protection Act of 2017 (HR 367 for Pingree and Poliquin, S. 59 for Collins and King). When you call, remind their staff that you also oppose the continuous inclusion of language in appropriations bills that prohibits the CDC from conducting research on the epidemic of gun violence. Ask them what they are doing to restore the CDC’s ability to conduct research.

CONTACT INFO