Bloomberg Campaign Press Release - Mike Is the Only Candidate Who Has Taken On the NRA – and Won – and He Will Make Gun Safety a Top Priority as President

NEW YORK — Mike has the strongest record on gun safety of every candidate on the stage, and is a leader in the national movement for gun reform. Mike doesn't just talk about gun safety, he takes action — as mayor of New York City, Mike co-founded Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a national coalition to push for stronger local, state and federal gun safety laws. It grew to include more than 1,000 current and former mayors. In 2014, after leaving the Mayor's Office, Mike co-founded Everytown for Gun Safety, the nation's largest gun safety advocacy organization. Mike knows what it takes to keep Americans safe from gun violence.

Gun violence in America is an epidemic: firearms are the second leading cause of death for children and teens; gun access during a domestic confrontation makes it five times more likely a woman will be killed; the US gun suicide rate is ten times other high-income countries; the homicide rate is twenty five times other high-income countries.

Despite the fact that tens-of-thousands of Americans have been affected by mass shootings and other gun violence since he assumed office in 2017, Donald Trump has been a steadfast friend to the National Rifle Association.

Mike's Plan:

• Mandatory Background Checks for Every Gun Purchase: Require point-of-sale background checks for all sales, including at gun shows and for sales arranged over the internet. Require every gun buyer to get a permit before making a purchase and allow issuers to deny permits to people who pose a danger to themselves or others. Keep records of all gun sales and create a notification system to alert local authorities when a gun owner becomes barred from having firearms.
• Keep Guns Out of the Wrong Hands: Close the "boyfriend loophole," which allows many domestic abusers to have guns simply because they are not married to their victims. Prohibit handgun and semi-automatic firearm purchases by those under 21-years-old. Pass a federal red flag law to allow courts in all 50 states to temporarily remove firearms from people who are a danger to themselves or others.
• Protect Our Children from Assault Weapons and Unintentional Shootings: Reinstate the federal ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines (existing assault weapon owners can keep their guns, but will have to register them with the government). Require secure firearm storage for all gun owners, protecting the estimated 4.6 million American children who live in houses with an unlocked gun.
• Tackle Daily Gun Violence With Programs that Make Our Communities Safer: Fund local violence intervention programs at a minimum of $100 million annually. Increase Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives funding. Fund public health research of gun violence at a minimum $100 million annually. Institute a waiting period for firearm purchases of at least 48 hours.
• Hold the Gun Industry Accountable for Violence: Repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act to remove legal immunity for gunmakers and gun dealers and make them accountable to civil lawsuits brought against them.

For more information on Mike's gun safety plan, visit here.