Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), released the following statement after voting against both Democratic Gun Control Bills – H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446. 

“I do not know a single Member of Congress who does not want to prevent senseless gun violence,” said Burgess. “There is a consensus in Congress to address what reforms are truly needed; however, adding more regulation without having proper oversight will only keep guns out of the hands of law-abiding Americans. 

“That is why I offered an amendment to H.R. 1446 that would require the Department of Justice to provide a report to Congress on the number of National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) denials. This will be a starting point for Congress to conduct oversight and understand what is needed to fully enforce our laws. 

“Congress has already passed several measures to enhance our current background check system. Senator John Cornyn and Congressman John Culberson put forward the successful Fix NICS Act in 2018. I proudly co-sponsored this legislation when it passed the House. This law ensures federal entities contribute full information to the NICS background check system and punishes bad actors who fail to report required criminal records to the FBI. To stop bad actors, we need to focus on passing commonsense measures that will not curtail the second amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners.

“Congress should be working to protect Americans’ Second Amendment rights instead of looking for a politically convenient talking point.”

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