Background Checks Now
Americans deserve #MoreThanThoughtsAndPrayers to fight our nation’s gun violence crisis.
Elected officials owe us action on lifesaving legislation like H.R. 8, a bill to require background checks on all gun sales. H.R. 8 is a bipartisan bill that would close the online sale loophole and the gun show loophole, so that background checks would be required for all gun sales.
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UPDATE: The U.S. House just passed background checks legislation. Now, it’s the Senate’s time to act.
Send a messageLearn more about background checks
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What is H.R. 8 and how will it close background check loopholes?
Everything you need to know about H.R 8
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I’m a Religious Leader, and I Know We Need More Than Thoughts and Prayers
Blog: Shane Claiborne, a member of the Everytown Interfaith Faith Council, and president of Red Letter Christians, shares his thoughts on the intersection of faith and action.
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Solutions: Background Checks
Background checks are the foundation of any comprehensive gun violence prevention strategy. Read our break down of background checks in the U.S.
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Myths and Facts About Background Checks
Explore the myths and facts surrounding background checks.
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Update Background Check Laws
Updating federal and state laws to require background checks on all gun sales is a common-sense way to keep guns out of the wrong hands and keep our communities safe. This fact sheet explores why.
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How Long-Standing Loopholes in the Background Check System Have Been Exacerbated by COVID-19
Background checks are the foundation of any effective effort to reduce gun violence in this country. But there are cracks in this foundation, cracks that have deepened as the result of an unprecedented surge in gun purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Unchecked: An Investigation of the Online Firearm Marketplace
In every year since 2018, there have been more than one million ads offering firearms for sale by unlicensed sellers in states that do not legally require a background check, a circumstance that creates endless opportunities for individuals with dangerous histories to easily acquire guns.
4m
Background checks have blocked 4 million sales to people prohibited by law from having guns.
Connor Brooks, “Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2016-2017,” (US Bureau of Justice Statistics, February 2021), https://bit.ly/3fkRmbW.
Last updated: 6.22.2021
93%
93 percent of American voters support requiring background checks on all gun sales, including 89 percent of Republicans and 89 percent of gun owners.
Everytown & Giffords Gun Safety Memo
Last updated: 3.25.2021
Which House representatives have cosponsored H.R. 8
Last updated: March 9, 2021 10:23 AM EST
Not yet cosponsored
223 House representatives have not cosponsored the bill yet
- Robert Aderholt (AL-04)
- Rick Allen (GA-12)
- Mark Amodei (NV-02)
- Kelly Armstrong (ND-AL)
- Jodey Arrington (TX-19)
- Brian Babin (TX-36)
- Don Bacon (NE-02)
- Jim Baird (IN-04)
- Troy Balderson (OH-12)
- Jim Banks (IN-03)
- Andy Barr (KY-06)
- Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
- Jack Bergman (MI-01)
- Stephanie Bice (OK-05)
- Andy Biggs (AZ-05)
- Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)
- Sanford Bishop (GA-02)
- Dan Bishop (NC-09)
- Lauren Boebert (CO-03)
- Mike Bost (IL-12)
- Kevin Brady (TX-08)
- Mo Brooks (AL-05)
- Vern Buchanan (FL-15)
- Ken Buck (CO-04)
- Larry Bucshon (IN-08)
- Ted Budd (NC-13)
- Tim Burchett (TN-02)
- Michael Burgess (TX-26)
- Cori Bush (MO-01)
- Ken Calvert (CA-42)
- Kat Cammack (FL-03)
- Jerry Carl (AL-01)
- Buddy Carter (GA-01)
- John Carter (TX-31)
- Madison Cawthorn (NC-11)
- Steve Chabot (OH-01)
- Liz Cheney (WY-AL)
- Ben Cline (VA-06)
- Michael Cloud (TX-27)
- James Clyburn (SC-06)
- Andrew Clyde (GA-09)
- Tom Cole (OK-04)
- James Comer (KY-01)
- Rick Crawford (AR-01)
- Dan Crenshaw (TX-02)
- Henry Cuellar (TX-29)
- John Curtis (UT-03)
- Warren Davidson (OH-08)
- Danny Davis (IL-07)
- Rodney Davis (IL-13)
- Scott Desjarlais (TN-04)
- Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25)
- Byron Donalds (FL-19)
- Jeff Duncan (SC-03)
- Neal Dunn (FL-02)
- Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27)
- Tom Emmer (MN-06)
- Ron Estes (KS-04)
- Pat Fallon (TX-04)
- Randy Feenstra (IA-04)
- Drew Ferguson (GA-03)
- Michelle Fischbach (MI-07)
- Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05)
- Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03)
- Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01)
- Virginia Foxx (NC-05)
- Scott Franklin (FL-15)
- Marcia Fudge (OH-11)
- Russ Fulcher (ID-01)
- Matt Gaetz (FL-01)
- Mike Gallagher (WI-08)
- Andrew Garbarino (NY-02)
- Mike Garcia (CA-25)
- Bob Gibbs (OH-07)
- Carlos Gimenez (FL-26)
- Louie Gohmert (TX-01)
- Jared Golden (ME-02)
- Tony Gonzales (TX-23)
- Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15)
- Anthony Gonzalez (OH-16)
- Bob Good (VA-05)
- Lance Gooden (TX-05)
- Paul Gossar (AZ-04)
- Kay Granger (TX-12)
- Garret Graves (LA-06)
- Sam Graves (MO-06)
- Mark Green (TN-07)
- Morgan Griffith (VA-09)
- Glenn Grothman (WI-06)
- Michael Guest (MS-03)
- Brett Guthrie (KY-02)
- Deb Haaland (NM-01)
- Jim Hagedorn (MN-01)
- Andy Harris (MD-01)
- Diana Harshbarger (TN-01)
- Vicky Hartzler (MO-04)
- Kevin Hern (OK-01)
- Yvette Herrell (NM-02)
- Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03)
- Jody Hice (GA-10)
- Clay Higgins (LA-03)
- French Hill (AR-02)
- Ashley Hinson (IA-01)
- Trey Hollingsworth (IN-09)
- Richard Hudson (NC-08)
- Bill Huizenga (MI-02)
- Darrell Isa (CA-50)
- Ronny Jackson (TX-13)
- Chris Jacobs (NY-27)
- Mike Johnson (LA-04)
- Bill Johnson (OH-06)
- Dusty Johnson (SD-AL)
- Jim Jordan (OH-04)
- David Joyce (OH-14)
- John Joyce (PA-13)
- John Katko (NY-24)
- Fred Keller (PA-12)
- Trent Kelly (MS-01)
- Mike Kelly (PA-16)
- Young Kim (CA-39)
- Ron Kind (WI-03)
- Adam Kinzinger (IL-16)
- David Kustoff (TN-08)
- Darin LaHood (IL-18)
- Doug LaMalfa (CA-01)
- Doug Lamborn (CO-05)
- Bob Latta (OH-05)
- Jake LaTurner (KS-02)
- Al Lawson (FL-05)
- Debbie Lesko (AZ-08)
- Billy Long (MO-07)
- Barry Loudermilk (GA-11)
- Frank Lucas (OK-03)
- Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03)
- Nancy Mace (SC-01)
- Nichole Malliotakis (NY-11)
- Tracey Mann (KS-01)
- Thomas Massie (KY-04)
- Brian Mast (FL-18)
- Kevin McCarthy (CA-23)
- Michael McCaul (TX-10)
- Lisa McClain (MI-10)
- Tom McClintock (CA-04)
- Patric McHenry (NC-10)
- David McKinley (WV-01)
- Cathy McMorris Rodgers
- Peter Meijer (MI-03)
- Dan Meuser (PA-09)
- Mary Miller (IL-15)
- Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02)
- John Moolenaar (MI-04)
- Alex Mooney (WV-02)
- Barry Moore (AL-02)
- Blake Moore (UT-01)
- Carol Muller (WV-03)
- Markwayne Mullin (OK-02)
- Greg Murphy (NC-03)
- Richard Neal (MA-01)
- Troy Nehls (TX-22)
- Dan Newhouse (WA-04)
- Ralph Norman (SC-05)
- Devin Nunes (CA-22)
- Jay Obernolte (CA-08)
- Burgess Owens (UT-04)
- Steven Palazzo (MS-04)
- Gary Palmer (AL-06)
- Chris Pappas (NH-01)
- Nancy Pelosi (CA-12)
- Greg Pence (IN-06)
- Scott Perry (PA-10)
- August Pfluger (TX-11)
- Bil Posey (FL-08)
- Tom Reed (NY-23)
- Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14)
- Tom Rice (SC-07)
- Mike Rogers (AL-03)
- Hal Rogers (KY-05)
- John Rose (TN-06)
- Matt Rosendale (MT-AL)
- David Rouzer (NC-07)
- Chip Roy (TX-21)
- John Rutherford (FL-04)
- Steve Scalise (LA-01)
- David Schweikert (AZ-06)
- Austin Scott (GA-08)
- Pete Sessions (TX-17)
- Mike Simpson (ID-02)
- Jason Smith (MO-08)
- Adrian Smith (NE-03)
- Lloyd Smucker (PA-11)
- Victoria Spartz (IN-05)
- Pete Stauber (MN-08)
- Michelle Steel (CA-48)
- Elise Stefanik (NY-21)
- Bryan Steild (WI-01)
- Greg Steube (FL-17)
- Chris Stewart (UT-02)
- Steve Stivers (OH-15)
- Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14)
- Van Taylor (TX-03)
- Claudia Tenney (NY-22)
- Bennie Thompson (MS-02)
- Glenn Thompson (PA-15)
- Tom Tiffany (WI-07)
- William Timmons (SC-04)
- Mike Turner (OH-10)
- David Valadao (CA-21)
- Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02)
- Beth Van Duyne (TX-24)
- Ann Wagner (MO-02)
- Tim Walberg (MI-07)
- Jackie Walorski (IN-02)
- Michael Waltz (FL-06)
- Randy Weber (TX-14)
- Daniel Webster (FL-11)
- Brad Wenstrup (OH-02)
- Bruce Westerman (AR-04)
- Roger Williams (TX-25)
- Joe Wilson (SC-02)
- Rob Wittman (VA-01)
- Steve Womack (AR-03)
- Don Young (AK-AL)
- Lee Zeldin (NY-01)
Cosponsored
209 House representatives have cosponsored the bill
- Alma Adams (NC-12)
- Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
- Collin Allred (TX-32)
- Jake Auchincloss (MA-04)
- Cindy Axne (IA-03)
- Nanette Barragan (CA-43)
- Karen Bass (CA-37)
- Joyce Beatty (OH-03)
- Ami Bera (CA-07)
- Don Beyer (VA-08)
- Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
- Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE)
- Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
- Carolyn Bordeaux (GA-07)
- Brendan Boyle (PA-02)
- Jamaal Bowman (NY-16)
- Anthony Brown (MD-04)
- Julia Brownley (CA-26)
- Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
- GK Butterfield (NC-01)
- Salud Carbajal (CA-24)
- Tony Cardenas (CA-29)
- Andre Carson (IN-07)
- Matt Cartwright (PA-08)
- Ed Case (HI-01)
- Sean Casten (IL-06)
- Kathy Castor (FL-14)
- Joaquin Castro (TX-20)
- David Cicilline (RI-01)
- Judy Chu (CA-27)
- Katherine Clark (MA-05)
- Yvette Clarke (NY-09)
- Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
- Steve Cohen (TN-09)
- Gerry Connolly (VA-11)
- Jim Cooper (TN-05)
- Lou Correa (CA-46)
- Jim Costa (CA-16)
- Joe Courtney (CT-02)
- Angie Craig (MN-02)
- Charlie Crist (FL-13)
- Jason Crow (CO-06)
- Sharice Davids (KS-03)
- Madeleine Dean (PA-04)
- Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
- Diana DeGette (CO-01)
- Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)
- Suzan DelBene (WA-01)
- Antonio Delgado (NY-19)
- Val Demings (FL-10)
- Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11)
- Ted Deutch (FL-22)
- Debbie Dingell (MI-12)
- Lloyd Doggett (TX-35)
- Mike Doyle (PA-18)
- Veronica Escobar (TX-16)
- Anna Eshoo (CA-18)
- Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)
- Dwight Evans (PA-03)
- Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01)
- Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07)
- Bill Foster (IL-11)
- Lois Frankel (FL-21)
- Ruben Gallego (AZ-07)
- John Garamendi (CA-03)
- Chuy Garcia (IL-04)
- Sylvia Garcia (TX-29)
- Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)
- Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05)
- Al Green (TX-09)
- Raul Grijalva (AZ-03)
- Josh Harder (CA-10)
- Alcee Hastings (FL-20)
- Jahana Hayes (CT-05)
- Brian Higgins (NY-26)
- Jim Himes (CT-04)
- Steven Horsford (NV-04)
- Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06)
- Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
- Jared Huffman (CA-02)
- Sheila Jackson Lee
- Sara Jacobs (CA-53)
- Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)
- Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)
- Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30)
- Hank Johnson (GA-04)
- Mondaire Jones (NY-17)
- Kai Kahele (HI-02)
- Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
- Bill Keating (MA-09)
- Robin Kelly (IL-02)
- Ro Khanna (CA-17)
- Dan Kildee (MI-05)
- Derek Kilmer (WA-06)
- Andy Kim (NJ-03)
- Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-02)
- Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08)
- Ann Kuster (NH-02)
- Conor Lamb (PA-17)
- Jim Langevin (RI-02)
- Rick Larsen (WA-02)
- John Larson (CT-01)
- Brenda Lawrence (MI-14)
- Barbara Lee (CA-13)
- Susie Lee (NV-03)
- Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03)
- Andy Levin (MI-09)
- Mike Levin (CA-49)
- Ted Lieu (CA-33)
- Zoe Lofgren (CA-19)
- Alan Lowenthal (CA-47)
- Elaine Luria (VA-02)
- Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
- Tom Malinowski (NJ-07)
- Carolyn Maloney (NY-12)
- Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18)
- Kathy Manning (NC-06)
- Doris Matsui (CA-06)
- Lucy McBath (GA-06)
- Betty McCollum (MN-04)
- Donald McEachin (VA-04)
- Jim McGovern (MA-02)
- Jerry McNerney (CA-09)
- Gregory Meeks (NY-05)
- Grace Meng (NY-06)
- Kweisi Mfume (MD-07)
- Gwen Moore (WI-04)
- Seth Moulton (MA-06)
- Joseph Morelle (NY-25)
- Frank Mrvan (IN-01)
- Stephanie Murphy (FL-07)
- Jerry Nadler (NY-10)
- Grace Napolitano (CA-32)
- Joe Neguse (CO-02)
- Marie Newman (IL-03)
- Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14)
- Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01)
- Ilhan Omar (MI-05)
- Frank Pallone (NJ-06)
- Jimmy Panetta (CA-20)
- Bil Pascrell (NJ-09)
- Donald Payne Jr.
- Ed Perlmutter (CO-07)
- Scott Peters (CA-52)
- Dean Phillips (MN-03)
- Chellie Pingree (ME-01)
- Mark Pocan (WI-02)
- Katie Porter (CA-45)
- Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
- David Price (NC-04)
- Mike Quigley (IL-05)
- Jamie Raskin (MD-08)
- Kathleen Rice (NY-04)
- Deborah Ross (NC-02)
- Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40)
- Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
- Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
- Bobby Rush (IL-01)
- Tim Ryan (OH-13)
- Linda Sanchez (CA-38)
- John Sarbanes (MD-03)
- Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05)
- Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)
- Adam Schiff (CA-28)
- Brad Schneider (IL-10)
- Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
- Kim Schrier (WA-08)
- Bobby Scott (VA-03)
- David Scott (GA-13)
- Terri Sewell (AL-07)
- Brad Sherman (CA-30)
- Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)
- Albio Sires (NJ-08)
- Elissa Slotkin (MI-08)
- Adam Smith (WA-09)
- Chris Smith (NJ-04)
- Darren Soto (FL-09)
- Abigail Spanberger (VA-08)
- Jackie Speier (CA-14)
- Greg Stanton (AZ-09)
- Haley Stevens (MI-11)
- Marilyn Strickland (WA-10)
- Tom Suozzie (NY-03)
- Eric Swalwell (CA-15)
- Mark Takano (CA-41)
- Dina Titus (NV-01)
- Mike Thompson (CA-05)
- Rashida Tlaib (MI-13)
- Paul Tonko (NY-20)
- Norma Torres (CA-35)
- Ritchie Torres (NY-15)
- Lori Trahan (MA-03)
- David Trone (MD-06)
- Lauren Underwood (IL-14)
- Fred Upton (MI-06)
- Juan Vargas (CA-51)
- Marc Veasey (TX-33)
- Filemon Vela Jr. (TX-34)
- Nydia Velazquez (NY-07)
- Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
- Maxine Waters (CA-43)
- Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)
- Peter Welch (VT-AL)
- Jennifer Wexton (VA-10)
- Susan Wild (PA-07)
- Frederica Wilson (FL-24)
- Nikema Williams (GA-05)
- John Yarmuth (KY-03)