Rep. Thompson tabs vice chairpersons for congressional group

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, has announce 11 vice chairpersons for the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force for the 114th Congress.

Thompson is Benicia’s representative in the House.

The 11, along with Thompson, will be the task force’s leadership team, he said.

“Our vice chairs have a wide range of expertise, come from different backgrounds, and will bring unique ideas to the table as we work to reduce and prevent gun violence while also protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,” Thompson said.

“In 113th Congress, our task force was successful in increasing funding for a background check system to record levels,” he said. “Now we need to take the next, and most important, step toward reducing gun violence by expanding the background check system so it can’t be bypassed with the click of a mouse or by driving to a gun show.”

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi appointed Thompson as chairperson of the congressional task force after the Dec. 14, 2012, school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

Thompson, a hunter and gun owner, is former chairperson of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. He is a Vietnam war veteran who carried a military-style assault weapon during his deployment there.

In February 2013, the task force announced a comprehensive set of policy principles designed to reduce gun violence. At the same time, Thompson said, the principles were respectful of the rights provided to law-abiding citizens under the Constitution’s Second Amendment.

Among the U.S. Representatives returning to the new edition of the task force is Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., who represents the community of Newtown, and who said Congress needs to tighten gun purchasing loopholes.

“I’m honored to continue to serve as vice chair of the U.S. House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force,” Esty said. “The scourge of gun violence is devastating our communities. Congress has shamefully failed to act on common-sense reforms, like expanded background checks and stricter punishments for illegal gun trafficking and straw purchasing.

“These reforms protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners, enjoy overwhelming support from the American people, and will save lives. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in Congress — particularly new members — to keep our children and our communities safe from gun violence.”

Chaka Fattah, D-Penn., also is returning to the panel.

“I am proud to have contributed to our progress last Congress, leading the effort that secured $73 million to assist states in improving background check records maintenance,” Fattah said. “There is no community in this country immune from the tragedies of gun violence, and as we sustain our efforts, I hope we can find consensus and enact smart legislation to strengthen our country’s gun laws.”

Robin Kelly, D-Ill.. wrote the 2014 Kelly Report on Gun Violence in America, and said, “I’m excited to work with (Thompson) and the task force to strengthen the coalition against gun violence and to pursue common-sense solutions to gun violence that balance our Second Amendment rights with the right of all Americans to live free from the threat of gun violence.”

Another appointee, Grace Napolitano, D-Monrovia, said, “Suicide is the leading cause of gun deaths in the U.S. today, yet mental health services are rarely discussed as a means to prevent gun violence. Unfortunately the mischaracterization of individuals suffering from mental illness halts the progress we have made toward our goal: eliminating stigma to ensure those suffering know it is always OK to seek help.

“By detecting and treating mental illness early on we can help reduce self-harm or harm to others, preventing tragedies from occurring. I look forward to continuing to address the mental health component of gun violence prevention and working with my colleagues on this critical public health concern.”

Rick Nolan, D-Minn., said responsible gun ownership is an integral part of the heritage in his home state and described himself as a life-long sportsman and gun owner who has hunted in northern and central Minnesota much of his life.

“The majority of my fellow sportsmen understand there is a need for a comprehensive approach to reduce and prevent gun violence while continuing to protect our Second Amendment rights,” Nolan said. “In that spirit, I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force to implement policies that protect our children and communities confronting the reality of daily gun violence and threat of senseless mass shootings.”

Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., said his state has been “home to some of the worst tragic mass shootings in our nation.” He said he hoped working on the task force would help other families avoid having to deal with such tragedies as well as the pain caused by the mix of mental health disorders and gun violence.

David Price, D-N.C., another returnee, called for Congress to pass “common-sense legislation to reduce gun violence and prevent future tragedies like Sandy Hook.”

Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., a career prosecutor, said she is approaching the task force from the perspective of law enforcement.

“I’m not out to restrict any law-abiding citizen’s right to own a gun,” Rice said. “I want to keep guns away from people who aren’t legally allowed to have them by closing the loopholes that allow violent criminals, domestic abusers and people with dangerous mental illnesses to avoid background checks.”

Bobby Scott, D-Va., who is starting his 12th term, is ranking member on the Committee on Education and the Workforce. He is a sponsor of the Youth PROMISE Act, which would provide resources to state and local governments for programs designed to prevent juvenile crime, and is returning to the task force.

“This task force has been working tirelessly to find legislative solutions to reduce gun violence, and sadly our work is still very much needed.

“Obviously one single approach to ending gun violence will not be effective,” Scott said. “But what can be most effective is a comprehensive, evidence-based approach that includes gun safety, mental health, juvenile justice, and crime-prevention initiatives.”

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, was legislative counsel to U.S. Rep. Leo Ryan in 1978, and was investigating the People’s Temple cult with him in Jonestown, Guyana, when Ryan was assassinated. Speier, shot at close range five times, still has two of the bullets in her body from the attack.

“We need to face the truth: America has a gun problem. With each new headline, we are reminded of the deadly cost of inaction,” she said.

Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., another avid hunter, was chairperson of the bipartisan Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus during the 113th Congress, and has been the lead Democrat on the House Committee on Homeland Security since 2007.

Prior to his election to Congress, he served as alderman and mayor of Bolton, Miss., and as a supervisor in Hinds County, Miss.

Kelly, Nolan and Rice are replacing outgoing vice chairpersons John D. Dingell, Carolyn McCarthy and Ron Barber.