Friend,

Despite the devastation caused by gun violence in our country, we have tried and failed -- for years -- to pass meaningful gun safety reform at the federal level. It’s been disheartening, to say the least.

When I was Governor of Virginia, the day of the Virginia Tech shooting -- at the time, the worst mass shooting in American history with 32 lives lost -- was easily the worst day of my life. And in the 14 years since, that awful day has been surpassed by even deadlier shootings multiple times.

Even one tragic mass shooting should be enough to compel meaningful reform. But despite many of us in Congress trying, time and again, to take steps to prevent needless deaths -- steps the vast majority of the American public, including gun owners, support -- progress has been blocked by a GOP that’s beholden to the National Rifle Association.

But Virginia has made progress on its own. The tragedies of Virginia Tech and Virginia Beach, driveby shootings, domestic violence, suicides by firearm, and countless other horrific gun violence tragedies led our Commonwealth to take real steps towards public safety; now it’s time for the U.S. Congress to do the same.

That’s why, last week, I joined Senator Mark Warner in re-introducing our Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act.

This legislation builds on Virginia's 2020 commonsense framework to reduce gun violence through simple measures, listed below. Take a look a look, and if you agree with the proposals, please add your name to say you support our plan

• Universal Background Checks: Closes loopholes in existing federal law by requiring background checks on all firearm sales and transfers.
   
• One-Handgun-a-Month: Limits purchases of handguns to one per month to curtail the stockpiling and trafficking of firearms. 
   
• Reporting of Lost or Stolen Firearms: Requires gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms to the appropriate state or local law enforcement agency within 48 hours.  
   
• Preventing Firearm Access to Minors: Promotes responsible gun ownership and safe storage practices by holding individuals liable for leaving a loaded, unsecured gun in the presence of a minor. 
   
• Protection Order Prohibitions: Strengthens safeguards for victims of domestic violence by closing the “boyfriend loophole,” which currently allows abusive non-spousal partners to possess firearms, and expands firearms laws to prohibit persons convicted of dating violence or stalking from possessing firearms.
   
• Extreme Risk Protection Orders: Establishes a federal extreme risk protection order process to temporarily remove firearms from individuals who pose a high risk of harming themselves or others and incentivizes states to implement their own extreme risk protection laws and court protocols.