{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-cleaver-votes-protect-children-gun-violence", "Rep. Cleaver Votes to Protect Children from Gun Violence", "2022-06-08", "2022", "2022-06", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Emanuel Cleaver", "C001061", "cleaver.house.gov", "cleaver", "https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) voted in favor of common-sense gun legislation aimed at reducing gun violence. H.R.7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act, would take important steps in helping to save lives and protect our kids from the scourge of gun violence.\n\n\"Thoughts and prayers are not an adequate response to the burgeoning gun violence impacting communities throughout the nation,\" said Congressman Cleaver. \"A history of inaction does not, and must not, set precedence for how Congress responds to these senseless, preventable tragedies, which is why, tonight, I proudly voted in favor of the Protecting Our Kids Act. The United States is the only industrialized nation where headlines of children gunned down in schools, churchgoers gunned down in religious sanctuaries, or shoppers gunned down in grocery stores are a weekly occurrence that don't result in concrete, widespread action \u2013 this is not acceptable. I remain steadfast in my commitment to preventing gun violence and changing the way in which lawmakers respond to these tragedies that have characterized the United States.\"\n\nThe Protecting Our Kids Act is comprised of seven titles and would:\n\nRaise the age for buying semi-automatic weapons to 21\n\nBan high-capacity magazines and bump stocks\n\nCrack down on gun trafficking\n\nClose the ghost-gun loophole\n\nStrengthen safe storage requirements\n\nTitle I \u2013 The Raise the Age Act \u2013 raises the lawful age to purchase certain semi-automatic centerfire rifles and shotguns from 18 to 21 years old. Currently, someone has to be 21 years old to purchase a handgun, but they can purchase a semi-automatic centerfire rifle or shotgun at age 18.\n\nTitle II \u2013 The Prevent Gun Trafficking Act \u2013 establishes new federal offenses for gun trafficking and for the use of \"straw purchasers\". Under current federal law, it is illegal to make false statements on certain gun purchase forms, but these forms are only required for some firearms purchases. By creating a new federal offense, Title II ensures that straw purchasing can be prosecuted as an independent offense rather than relying on prosecuting false statements to address straw purchasing.\n\nTitle III \u2013 The Untraceable Firearms Act \u2013 closes the ghost gun loophole by amending the definition of \"firearm\" under federal law to include gun kits and partial receivers and by changing the definition of \"manufacturing firearms\" to include assembling firearms using 3D printing technology.\n\nTitle IV \u2013 Safe Storage \u2013 establishes federal standards for safe storage of firearms. The presence of unsecured firearms in the home increases the risk of unintentional and intentional shooting, particularly with minors in residence. Over 75 percent of firearms used in youth suicide attempts and unintentional firearm injuries were stored in the residence of the victim, a relative, or a friend.\n\nTitle V \u2013 The Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act \u2013 builds on the 2018 rule, which added bump stocks to the definition of \"machine gun\", by farther defining bump stocks and listing them under the National Firearms Act so that they are regulated the same as machine guns.\n\nTitle VI \u2013 The Keep Americans Safe Act \u2013 prohibits the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of a magazine that holds more than 15 rounds of ammunition, unless an individual falls under a particular exception. These high-capacity magazines are designed for shooting and killing en masse and have been the accessory of choice in some of the bloodiest mass shooting in America.\n\nTitle VII \u2013 Miscellaneous \u2013 contains one provision which provides that the Attorney General shall submit to the House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee and annual report that contains demographic data of persons who were determined to be ineligible to purchase a firearm based on the background check performed by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.\n\n\"In the wake of recent mass shootings, Congress has failed to enact gun safety measures that would help save lives. Enough is enough. The Protecting Our Kids Act takes necessary action to reduce the carnage our nation has come to know all too well,\" said Congressman Cleaver.\n\nOfficial text of the Protecting Our Kids Act is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:39:01Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cleaver.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-cleaver-votes-protect-children-gun-violence"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5222178772091866, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}