Kelly, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Save Lives, Help Reduce Gun Violence in America

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), along with Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act, legislation to protect communities from gun violence, while safeguarding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes.   

The GOSAFE Act would regulate the most lethal firearms designed to inflict the greatest damage in the least amount of time, which have been typically used by mass shooters.   

For more information and a summary of the bill, click here. 

“As a gun owner, a combat veteran, and the husband of a survivor of gun violence, I know firsthand the damage a firearm can do on the battlefield or at a neighborhood grocery store,” said Kelly. “And as our country and communities have experienced mass shooting after mass shooting, it’s past time we look at fresh approaches to protect Arizona kids and families from the most dangerous weapons. The GOSAFE Act is a targeted bill that protects the rights of responsible gun owners while regulating the most dangerous semi-automatic rifles, detachable high-capacity magazines, and accessories that have increasingly concerned law enforcement and been used over and over again in mass shootings.”   

“Our country is reeling from a gun violence crisis that has taken far too many lives in New Mexico and across this country. The American people deserve meaningful action from Congress. That’s why I’m introducing the GOSAFE Act,” said Heinrich. “Like many New Mexicans, I am a gun owner. I firmly believe we must uphold the laws that protect safe and responsible gun ownership. This bill achieves that, while taking steps to get those firearms that are inherently dangerous and unusually lethal, designed for maximum harm, out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others. By giving law enforcement the tools and time needed to keep our communities safe, this pragmatic legislation will save lives.”   

“For years, I’ve been talking to people across the state of Maine – parents, sportsmen, hunters, and community leaders – and working with colleagues to craft a policy that make tragedies, like the one in Lewiston, far less likely. Saving lives now and in the future has been my single goal,” said King. “The Gas-Operated Semiautomatic Firearm Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act, takes a close look at the way large capacity, semiautomatic weapons operate—the class of firearm used in most of the deadliest mass shootings across our country. For years, I have said that rather than use model numbers or the appearance of these guns to restrict them, we should instead focus our attention on the mechanisms of these weapons and what makes them so dangerous. I realize that nothing can bring back the lives of our family and friends, but responsible actions moving forward can reduce the likelihood of such a nightmare happening again.” 

“For more than two decades, Colorado has had to grieve over one incident of senseless gun violence after another. Gun violence has become normal in this country, and it has shaped the ways our kids are growing up,” said Bennet. “The GOSAFE Act is common sense gun safety legislation to keep weapons of war out of the hands of the wrong people, while respecting responsible gun owners. With this bill, we are taking an important step to combat gun violence in our communities and demonstrate to our children that we will not fail them.”