Last Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two gun-control bills that all responsibly armed Americans should be aware of. Both pieces of legislation will go before the Senate for a vote and, if passed, will be a major blow to law-abiding gun owners. These are just two of the many measures the Democrats are advocating for to end the “epidemic of gun violence.”

Universal Background Checks for All Gun Sales

H.R. 8 (or the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021) requires universal background checks for every gun sale between private parties — including those sold online or at gun shows. A licensed gun dealer, manufacturer or importer would have to first take possession of the firearm to conduct a background check before it can pass between private hands.

The bill was introduced in the House by California Rep. Mike Thompson (D) on March 1 and passed 10 days later by a 227 to 203 vote. The bill also passed in the House in the aftermath of the 2019 Parkland, Florida, shooting but failed to get approval in the Senate. But the Democrat-controlled Senate poses a greater threat now than it did in 2019.

Increasing Background Checks From 3 to 10 Days

H.R. 1446 (or the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021) increases the amount of time — from 3 days to 10 days — an individual must wait to receive a background check before transferring a firearm to an unlicensed person. This bill is in response to the 2015 Charleston, South Carolina, shooting, where the shooter allegedly took advantage of the “Charleston Loophole” to obtain a gun to shoot and kill nine people at the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. While there were mistakes made by the FBI before the shooter launched his attack on June 17, there’s a misconception that the three-day “proceed to sale” provision is to blame for the shooting.

The bill was introduced by South Carolina Rep. and Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D) on March 1. Like H.R. 8, it passed 10 days later with a vote of 219 to 210. “This law would have prevented that gentleman from getting a gun,” Clyburn stated when referring to the Charleston gunman. “I don’t know why the other side continues to misrepresent what we are trying to do here.” He expressed that it is an important step that Congress must take to address the epidemic of gun violence in this country, even though evidence indicates otherwise.

How About National Concealed Carry Reciprocity?

“The gun violence crisis in America is a challenge to the conscience of our country — one that demands that we act,” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi recently declared. Some Senate Democrats are even calling for President Biden to pass executive orders and sidestep Congress. But the “epidemic of gun violence” isn’t much of an epidemic at all if you analyze the skewed figures the Democrats use to make their case.

Lawmakers in Washington are directing their attention in the wrong places. Background checks don’t stop criminals. What we need are laws that allow law-abiding gun owners to protect themselves from criminals, not more restrictions to strip them of their ability to protect themselves. That’s why national concealed carry reciprocity is so important, which would allow Americans to protect themselves anywhere in the country from violent individuals.