Murphy Strongly Opposes Legislation Taking Away Second Amendment Rights

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446. Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03) released the following statement after voting against the bills:

"Although I share my Democratic colleagues' desire to curb gun violence and mass shootings in the United States, H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446 are not the answer, which is why I voted against these misguided pieces of legislation today," said Murphy. "As a surgeon who has personally operated on gunshot victims, I can attest that most of these people were shot by criminals who obtained guns illegally. These bills would do nothing to change that, and they are an affront to Americans' constitutional right to bear arms. This is yet another example of Democrats' desire to extend the federal government's reach to every part of our lives.

"If H.R. 8 were to become law, it would require universal background checks on firearm purchases and criminalize the private transfer of firearms. For instance, the bill would prohibit gun owners from lending their gun to a life-long friend to go hunting or a victim of abuse, with a penalty of up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

"H.R. 1446 is another dangerous bill. The measure would eliminate the 3-day proceed to sale provision, which would allow the government to indefinitely delay the sale of a firearm during a background check. These are infringements on Americans' right to bear arms.

"Let's look at the facts. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), 75% of criminals who possessed a firearm while committing a crime obtained the gun illegally. DOJ also found in a 2013 study that universal background checks would not be effective unless there were tighter firearm restrictions and efforts to combat straw purchasing. These bills would do nothing to alter the status quo in America.

"If we want to tackle gun violence and mass shooting in this country, then we need to attack the root cause of them, which is mental health. Normal people do not seek to take innocent lives. Practically every single infamous mass shooting in this country has been perpetrated by mentally disturbed people. Until we identify and treat these folks for their mental illness, these unspeakable acts will continue, regardless of whether or not we have federally mandated background checks."