Rep. Schneider Supports Effort to Provide Much-Needed Funding for Background Checks

Press Release

U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) voted for a measure Thursday that provides additional funding for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which helps keep dangerous individuals from purchasing firearms.

The bipartisan Thompson-King-Esty-Heck-Fitzpatrick-Quigley Amendment would provide an additional $19.5 million in grants for states to help enter outstanding information, including arrest warrants, into the NICS system. The measure passed 260-145.

"Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals is critical to reducing gun violence, but right now, our current background checks system is woefully underfunded and lacking complete, timely information," Schneider said. "Without the necessary funding, our background checks system is missing important data on thousands of arrest warrants, allowing those who shouldn't have weapons to continue purchasing firearms. This measure provides much-needed funding that will help states enter thousands of additional records into the background checks system."

Rep. Schneider is a vocal supporter of sensible measures to curb gun violence and supports expanded background checks for gun sales, banning armor piercing bullets and expanding access to mental health care. He is a cosponsor of the Gun Trafficking Prevention Act that would make gun trafficking a federal crime. He has also hosted two gun violence prevention roundtables with community leaders, and in April, he held a gun safety forum in Deerfield.

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