Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after voting against HR 8 and HR 1446.

“My constituents have made their stance on 2^nd Amendment issues overwhelmingly clear: never, ever vote for a bill that infringes on our right to bear arms,” said Rep. Hern. “I agree, which is why I cannot support the legislation in the House today. You can name a bill anything you want, but that doesn’t mean the content is beneficial. We all believe that background checks are important, that we need to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and people who pose a threat to their communities. Law-abiding gun owners are not a threat – in fact, they make our communities safer. The bills we voted on today do nothing to prevent gun violence, but they do make it harder for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves. I couldn’t be stronger in my opposition to this kind of legislation. I will never vote to undermine our 2^nd Amendment.”

Background Information

HR 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, includes provisions that:

• Impose unnecessary and redundant background checks that already exist for all gun sales
• Infringe on 2^nd Amendment rights of all law-abiding citizens
• Could turn legal gun owners into criminals for helping a friend or neighbor
• Would not have stopped a single mass shooting

HR 1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act, includes provisions that:

• Extend default transfer windows for a retail firearm sale from 3 to 10 business days and could allow the FBI to delay a transfer indefinitely
• Undermine the NICS background check system

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