Metro Atlanta congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) is asking colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass 'common sense' gun regulations. The Georgia Democrat spoke on the floor of the chamber as the body neared a vote on a package of gun safety measures.
Referring to the mass shooting on May 24, 2022, at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, TX, Johnson said "for the sake of the kids, it's time to do something different." He called on Congress to pass the Protecting Our Kids Act which would change gun laws. Under the measure the minimum age would be raised for semiautomatic centerfire rifles and shotguns.
Johnson, a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, also participated in a hearing Wednesday to examine the gun violence epidemic in the United States.
During the hearing Johnson said, "It is common sense to impose a ban on the manufacture and sale to the public of military-assault weapons meant for use on the battlefield. It’s common sense to mandate universal background checks by closing the gun show loophole. It’s common sense to raise the age of purchasing all firearms from 18 to 21. But, for some reason, my colleagues insist on doing nothing to reverse what is a tide of a failed policy."
According to the Gun Violence Archive there have already been 240 mass shootings in the U.S. this year.