Wyden, Merkley seek hearings on universal background checks

Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., this week wrote the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee to call for hearings on universal background checks legislation.

“Statistics demonstrate that universal background checks save lives, and polls show that 97% of Americans support the implementation of these checks,” the Oregon senators wrote Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in a letter signed by 36 other senators.

“We noted with interest your statements that you intended to have the Committee work on ‘red flag’ legislation and potentially also background checks, both actions we strongly support,” the senators wrote.. “We respectfully request that you hold a hearing on this critical legislation as soon as possible.

Wednesday’s letter comes after the U.S. House last week passed the Bipartisan Background Checks Act . The Senate counterpart bill, the Background Check Expansion Act , is pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The House also passed the Enhanced Background Checks Act , a bill aimed at closing the “Charleston loophole” in the background check system that made it possible for the gunman in Charleston’s AME Church in Graham’s home state to buy a firearm.

Joining Wyden and Merkley in signing the letter led by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) are U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

The text of the letter can be found here and below:

March 6, 2019

Honorable Lindsey Graham

Chairman

U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee

224 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Chairman Graham:

Last week, in a huge bipartisan vote, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, by a vote of 240-190.

A similar bill, S. 42, the Background Check Expansion Act, is currently pending in the Judiciary Committee. Statistics demonstrate that universal background checks save lives, and polls show that 97% of Americans support the implementation of these checks. We noted with interest your statements that you intended to have the Committee work on ‘red flag’ legislation and potentially also background checks, both actions we strongly support.

As cosponsors of S. 42, we respectfully request that you hold a hearing on this critical legislation as soon as possible.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely