{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-cosponsors-bicameral-bill-protecting-domestic-violence-survivors-from-gun-violence/", "Padilla Cosponsors Bicameral Bill Protecting Domestic Violence Survivors from Gun Violence", "2026-08-20", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "CA", "Alex Padilla", "P000145", "www.padilla.senate.gov", "padilla", "https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Representative Jim Himes (D-Conn.-04) in introducing the Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act, legislation to close a dangerous loophole that allows domestic abusers to legally obtain weapons. The Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act restricts those under temporary restraining orders from purchasing or possessing a firearm and extends protections to domestic violence survivors who have been abused by their dating partners.\n\nThe bill is named in memory of Lori Jackson, a Connecticut mother who was tragically shot and killed by her estranged husband who had legally obtained a handgun even though he was subject to a temporary restraining order, and Nicolette Elias, a Connecticut mother who, despite securing restraining orders and temporary stalking orders against her estranged and abusive ex-husband, was murdered by her former spouse in front of their children with a handgun that he refused to relinquish.\n\n\u201cDenying a domestic abuser access to a gun is one of the most obvious, common-sense steps we can take to protect survivors,\u201d said Senator Padilla. \u201cThis bill would address a deadly loophole, reduce dangerous domestic violence incidents, and most importantly, save lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis legislation closes a gaping loophole\u2014to save lives when current law leaves domestic abuse victims most vulnerable to violent partners with guns,\u201d said Senator Blumenthal. \u201cThe link between domestic violence and guns is deadly. The Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act would prevent the purchase and possession of a firearm by someone who is subject to a temporary restraining order\u2014protecting survivors of domestic violence when courts recognize the danger.\u201d\n\n\u201cKeeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers is commonsense,\u201d said Senator Wyden. \u201cIt\u2019s past time to help end the cycle of gun violence and provide domestic violence survivors with bare minimum protection against their abusers, and our bill is the way to do it.\u201d\n\n\u201cLori Jackson and Nicolette Elias should still be alive today. That perpetrators of domestic violence can still access firearms even with a temporary restraining order against them is a dangerous loophole that needs to be closed. We owe it to Lori, Nicolette, and the countless other survivors of domestic violence killed by gun violence to close this loophole once and for all\u2014and that\u2019s precisely what this bill would do,\u201d said Representative Himes.\n\nIn addition to Padilla, Blumenthal, and Wyden, the bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) in the Senate.\n\nThe legislation is supported by a number of organizations, including Brady, Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund, GIFFORDS, Newtown Action Alliance, Everytown, Jewish Women International, March for Our Lives, National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Network to End Domestic Violence, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, and CT Coalition Against Domestic Violence.\n\n\u201cDomestic violence is a serious issue that cuts across racial, gender, economic, sexual, generational, and religious divides. In fact, one-third of women and one-quarter of men are victims of physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner at least once in their lifetime. The mere presence of a firearm in the hands of an abuser is a key factor that can transform a dangerous situation into a deadly one. The Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act will protect survivors of intimate partner violence by fully closing the \u201cboyfriend loophole\u201d and restricting individuals under emergency restraining orders from purchasing or possessing firearms. Brady is grateful to Senator Blumenthal for introducing this important bill and for his steadfast dedication to protecting survivors and ending the American gun violence crisis,\u201d said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy, Brady.\n\n\u201cNo one escaping domestic violence should fear that their abuser can still access a firearm,\u201d said Lauren Levin, chief advocacy officer of the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund. \u201cWe are proud to endorse the Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act, strengthening protections for survivors facing serious threats and helping keep families and communities safe by reducing the risk of future violence.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe gaps in federal gun policy regarding domestic abuse are completely unacceptable and deadly. An abusive partner\u2019s access to a firearm makes it five times more likely that a woman will be killed. That\u2019s why I urge Congress to pass Senator Blumenthal\u2019s lifesaving bill, and finally take steps to prevent known abusers from getting their hands on dangerous weapons,\u201d said Emma Brown, Executive Director at GIFFORDS.\n\n\u201cA protective order should protect. Yet loopholes in federal law still allow too many dangerous domestic abusers to keep or acquire firearms even after a court has found that they pose a credible threat,\u201d said Po Murray, Chairwoman of Newtown Action Alliance. \u201cThe Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act closes those deadly loopholes and helps ensure that a judge\u2019s order is backed by meaningful action. Survivors deserve more than a piece of paper\u2014they deserve the freedom to live safely in their own homes without fear of gun violence.\u201d\n\nFull text of the bill can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-21T05:30:57Z", "2026-08-21T05:32:22Z"]], "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://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/padilla-cosponsors-bicameral-bill-protecting-domestic-violence-survivors-from-gun-violence/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9094527922570705, "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"}