What Does Freedom from Gun Violence Mean for Kamala Harris? 

Everytown Plans Public Awareness Campaign to Get Americans the Facts on Harris’ Life-Saving Gun Safety Record

NEW YORK – From her time as district attorney to attorney general, from the U.S. Senate to the White House, Vice President Harris has spent her entire career working to build a future free from gun violence. 

In the lead up to the Democratic National Convention, Everytown for Gun Safety, along with its grassroots arms Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, will work to ensure voters get the facts about Vice President Harris’ strong record of keeping communities safe from gun violence — and what her presidency would mean for the future of gun safety. The themes over the next few weeks will highlight the choice voters will make this November between a future of freedom and safety under Kamala Harris, or a future of chaos, fear and hate under Donald Trump and JD Vance.

“At a time when extremists are attacking our rights, it is more important than ever to elect a president who will not only fight to protect our freedoms but also expand them. That person is Kamala Harris,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “Throughout her career, Vice President Harris has shaped gun safety policy to protect survivors, invest in communities, and get firearms out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. Our movement of 11 million is well-prepared to meet this historic moment and elect Vice President Harris as our next president.”

“Vice President Kamala Harris has helped lead the strongest gun safety administration in American history, with accomplishments that include breaking the 30-year logjam on federal gun safety legislation and taking historic executive actions to combat gun trafficking and ghost guns,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “There’s a reason Vice President Harris was tapped to oversee the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention: She’s long been a steadfast and effective champion of  common sense laws to create safer communities. The ‘guns everywhere’ agenda promoted by Trump and Vance flies in the face of both common sense and public opinion, and Everytown’s top priority will be helping Vice President Harris counter their violent vision and win in November.”

Here’s what the freedom to live safe from gun violence means to Kamala Harris:

Freedom means keeping weapons of war off our streets and out of the hands of extremists.

• Throughout her career, Harris has been a vocal advocate for reinstating a ban on assault weapons, the weapon of choice for mass shooters and extremists. 
• In the Senate, Harris cosponsored the Disarm Hate Act to prohibit individuals convicted of all violent hate crimes from purchasing and possessing firearms.
• Harris has also cosponsored Senate legislation to regulate dangerous firearms and accessories, including ghost guns, large-capacity magazines, 3D-printed guns, bump stocks and other devices designed or function to accelerate the rate of fire of semi-automatic weapons.
• The Biden-Harris Administration implemented life-saving rules to regulate ghost guns and arm-brace-equipped assault weapons. 

Freedom means protecting women and families.

• As San Francisco’s top prosecutor, Harris prioritized domestic violence cases.
• As California Attorney General, Harris led the fight to pass a Red Flag law, becoming only the third state at the time to do so.
• As a Senator, Harris co-sponsored legislation to close the boyfriend loophole and prohibit stalkers from purchasing or possessing firearms. This loophole was ultimately addressed in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
• Senator Harris also co-sponsored legislation to help protect survivors of domestic violence and to help survivors of gun violence access resources.

Freedom means our kids and schools are safe.

• Harris championed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which included $300 million in additional funding for STOP School Violence Act grants and more than $1.5 billion for states and communities to make our schools safer, improve access to mental health services, and help young people deal with the trauma and grief resulting from gun violence.
• The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act also established enhanced background checks for firearm purchasers under the age of 21
• The Biden-Harris Administration issued executive action to crack down on rogue gun dealers and promote secure storage and Extreme Risk laws. 
• In March, Vice President Harris visited Parkland, Florida, where she spoke with survivors of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and highlighted the launch of ERPO.org, the national Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) resource center in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

Freedom means prioritizing public safety and keeping our communities safe.

• Harris has been a leader on efforts to expand background checks on gun sales, including addressing the online and gun show loophole, and closing the Charleston loophole — all of which keep communities and law enforcement safe.
• Harris was appointed by President Biden to oversee the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
• Harris has been a longtime supporter of community violence intervention programs, public health research on gun violence, and the implementation of state Extreme Risk laws.
• In the Senate, Harris worked to hold the gun industry accountable through legislation to repeal PLCAA, end restrictions on trace data, and increase oversight of gun dealers.
• Harris has been a leader on efforts to expand background checks on gun sales, including addressing the online and gun show loophole, and closing the Charleston loophole.
• The Biden-Harris Administration has cracked down on gun trafficking, straw purchases and dangerous gun exports.
• As California Attorney General, Harris led the official certification process that verified that microstamping technology was viable—triggering the first microstamping mandate in the country.