110+ people die in the U.S. *every day* from gun violence. I urged House leadership to hold separate votes on common sense gun safety measures so Americans would know exactly where their Representative stands—with them or with the gun lobby.

THREAD on today's votes ⬇️

The House voted on the Protecting Our Kids Act today. This legislation is composed of 7 "titles"—i.e. different sections that seek to tackle various facets of the gun violence epidemic. Each title was voted on separately to boost accountability and transparency. (2/10)

TL;DR: I voted YES on all 7 proposals to reduce gun violence and keep the American people safe. Too many communities, including ours in Orange County, know the pain of gun violence. (3/10)

Our gun laws are littered with loopholes. For example, Americans need to be 21 to buy a handgun—but they can legally purchase certain semi-automatic rifles and shotguns at 18. Title I of the Protecting Our Kids Act raises the purchasing age to 21 for these weapons. (4/10)

Another example: it's illegal to buy guns for someone who can't pass a background check, but few are ever prosecuted under federal law. There's also no federal statute that prohibits gun trafficking. Title II cracks down on these serious crimes by increasing penalties. (5/10)

Ghost guns, meaning guns that lack serial numbers and can't be traced, aren't subject to existing law because they don't fit the legal definition of "firearm." Title III amends the law so these guns, including those made from kits and via a 3D printer, are regulated. (6/10)

Gun violence is the leading cause of death for American children. Too often, kids find and use guns that weren't properly stored in their home or in the home of a friend or relative. Title IV includes several provisions to help families store their firearms more safely. (7/10)

Americans can't legally own fully automatic rifles and machine guns made after 1986, but up until recently, you could buy a "bump stock” to dramatically increase the rate of fire on a semi-automatic rifle. Title V tightens an existing—but flimsy—ban on these devices. (8/10)

Existing law also allows Americans to equip semi-automatic rifles with high capacity magazines, which are designed to shoot and kill en masse. Title VI bans all but few from importing, manufacturing, selling, transferring, or owning such magazines. (9/10)
https://twitter.com/RepKatiePorter/status/1534640584228409346

I often say that oversight is how we close the gap between what the law says and what's happening. Title VII requires an annual report to Congress on the demographic data of those who couldn't clear a background check, so we can better understand how our laws are working. (10/10)