WASHINGTON >> Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) — Chairman of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force — led 134 Members of Congress in calling for the establishment of a Select Committee on Gun Violence. This bipartisan committee would be comprised of six Democrats and six Republicans, all tasked with studying the causes of mass shootings, rates of gun violence in large metropolitan issues, the effect of gun violence on public health, and other critical topics.
“For too long, the causes and impacts of gun violence have gone largely unstudied because of legislation Congress passed more than twenty years ago,” said Thompson. “In recent years, our country has endured some of the most horrific mass shootings in our history. Despite tragedies in Newtown, Orlando, and Tucson, Congress has been silent. It has debated no bills, considered no proposals. And Americans continue to die. It has to stop.”
Thompson added that the Select Committee is an important first step to keeping Americans safer. He considers bipartisanship critical to the success of the committee. “We need to have an honest, frank conversation about gun violence,” Thompson said. “We need both Republicans and Democrats to come to the table to offer solutions instead of standing by and allowing more innocents to die. We have the opportunity to do something that could save lives, and it is our responsibility to do so.”
The Select Committee on Gun Violence would study and make recommendations to address the following:
The causes of mass shootings
Methods to improve background checks on firearm purchases
Connections between access to firearms and dangerously mentally ill individuals
Federal penalties for the trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms
Loopholes that allow some domestic abusers to access to firearms
Linkages between firearms and suicide
The effect of gun violence on public health
The correlation between state gun violence prevention laws and the incidence of gun violence
The importance of having reliable and accurate information on gun violence and its toll on our nation
The implementation of effective gun violence prevention laws in accordance with the Second Amendment to the Constitution
Rates of gun violence in large metropolitan areas
Thompson leads rebuke of Trump
On Thursday Thompson (CA-05) introduced a House Resolution disapproving of the President’s irresponsible and negligent handling of classified information. This resolution comes in the wake of reports that the President shared critical intelligence information with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
“As a former member of the House Intelligence Committee, I know firsthand how important it is to protect our allies and sources who provide us with crucial information on terrorist activities,” said Thompson. “We rely extensively on foreign contacts to remain updated on ISIL, Al Qaeda, and other terrorist groups. When the President shared sensitive information with the Russians, he jeopardized a source in a potentially dangerous situation. Russia is not our ally. The President should not endanger our sources in an attempt to curry favor with the Russians. The safety of Americans has to come first, and that safety depends on a network of foreign intelligence sources who need to know their information—and positions—will remain secure.”
Israel was widely reported to be the source of the information the President shared. Yesterday, Israeli Defense Chief Avigdor Liberman confirmed Israel had changed its intelligence-sharing protocols with the United States after the President’s disclosure.
