Residents Urge Congressman to Co-Sponsor Background Check Bill

As members of New Jersey Residents for Action (Against Gun Violence), on April 5 we received a letter from Congressman Leonard Lance stating that he supports “closing gun show loopholes, and tightening the background checks on gun sales as well as toughening the penalties against gun trafficking and straw purchasers.” 

We are happy to see that Congressman Lance favors these measures, but when  asked specifically if he supports the current bi-partisan King–Thompson House bill on background checks in the House Of Representatives, which encompasses all the very measures he says he supports, his Chief of Staff Todd Mitchell had this reply, “How this is best accomplished should be left up to the relevant committee of jurisdiction – in this case the House Judiciary Committee.”  

How this is best accomplished is for Congressman Lance to put his name on it and encourage other Republicans to do the same, not play politics.

When push comes to shove, unlike Republican (Peter) King of NY and the two other Republicans from PA who have signed on as co-sponsors, instead of truly standing behind his positions Congressman Lance, just runs away from them.

The current bi-partisan bill in the House of Representatives HR 1565 supporting background checks on all commercial gun sales, which is identical to the Manchin-Toomey bill, now has 176 co-sponsors. This is a golden opportunity for the Congressman to  truly stand by his convictions by supporting this bill and becoming a co-sponsor.

There is no question as to the public support for this issue. At the Westfield Spring Fling and at our forum on May 1, approximately 200 eager residents signed our petition and letters supporting background checks. In a poll taken of the 7th District by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, 92 percent of constituents favored background checks.

However, when this information was brought up to the Congressman in an email, the Congressman’s Chief of Staff Todd Mitchell’s response was to deny the accuracy of this poll and he said to spare him the “Does the Congressman stand with 92% of his constituents?" He then added that asking if Leonard Lance stands with the 92% of his constituents who favor background checks is an argument that is “sophomoric and belittles what is a very important and serious issue.” 

What is sophomoric and belittles a serious issue is the twisting and turning  Congressman Lance does to avoid taking any meaningful action towards passing legislation that can prevent gun violence. Moreover, as a Republican supporter of these measures, he could be leading others in his party to support this crucial bill.

There is no excuse for Leonard Lance not to publicly support and promote this new House bill that will prevent criminals and the mentally ill from obtaining deadly weapons. If someone can’t  pass a background check, they should not be able to get a gun – period.

Although we applaud the Congressman for his written support of these measures, Leonard Lance’s passivity diminishes his views on gun safety. New Jersey Residents For Action (Against Gun Violence) continues to stand by our conviction that gun violence is the number one public safety issue of our time.

Therefore, we urge Congressman Lance to stand with the 90 percent of Americans, the 92 percent of his constituents and stand by his word by publicly supporting and co-sponsoring the King-Thompson Bill requiring universal background checks for all commercial gun  sales.

This is the only way we can make common sense gun regulation a reality. If his constituents can’t count on his vote for common sense background checks, then maybe he won’t be able to count on our vote come election time.  

Karen Egert      

Marci Bandelli    

Lori  Bennett