Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) joined U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and their bicameral colleagues to introduce the Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act and the bipartisan Banning Unlawful Machinegun Parts (BUMP) Act. Both bills would protect communities from gun violence, while safeguarding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes.
“For more than two decades, Colorado has grieved one incident of senseless gun violence after another,” said Bennet. “This common-sense gun safety bill will keep weapons of war out of the hands of the wrong people while respecting responsible gun owners. With this legislation, we are taking an important step to combat gun violence in our communities and protect children across the country.”
“For too long, Congress has failed to stem the onslaught of mass shootings. Our work in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was critically important, but more must be done,” said Heinrich. “I’m introducing my GOSAFE and BUMP Acts to deliver on that unfinished work to save lives and make our communities safer. As a sportsman and gun owner, I’m committed to upholding the laws that protect responsible gun ownership, but we must do more to prevent deadly weapons from reaching those who are all too ready to turn them against our communities.”
“We have a solemn obligation to protect our communities, and the Gas-Operated Semiautomatic Firearm Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act can reduce threats without infringing on Second Amendment rights,” said King. “By limiting capacity and requiring fixed magazines, there’s an opportunity for people to escape and room to disarm the shooter — helping to prevent mass tragedies like we suffered in Lewiston in future towns and communities. This is commonsense, responsible legislation that will save lives, and I want to thank my colleagues for all their work to ensure a safer tomorrow for communities across Maine and our country.”
“As a gun owner and a combat veteran, but also the husband of a gun violence survivor, I know firsthand the damage these weapons can cause when they end up in the wrong hands,” said Kelly. “We can protect the rights of responsible gun owners and take action to keep the most lethal firearms out of the hands of those who intend to do harm. We’ve seen the consequences of inaction, let’s not wait for the next tragedy to do something about it.”
The GOSAFE Act seeks to regulate firearms based on their inherently dangerous and unusually lethal mechanisms, as opposed to focusing on cosmetic features that manufacturers can easily modify.
Bennet, Heinrich, King, and Kelly previously introduced this bill in November 2023.
In addition to Heinrich, King, Kelly, and Bennet, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) cosponsored the GOSAFE Act. U.S. Representative Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) led companion legislation in the House.
The text of the GOSAFE Act is available HERE. A list of quotes from supportive organizations is available HERE.
The BUMP Act seeks to prohibit the sale of bump stocks and other devices or modifications that allow semi-automatic firearms to increase their rate of fire and effectively operate as fully automatic weapons.
In additon to Bennet and Heinrich, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) consponsored the BUMP Act. U.S. Representatives Dina Titus (D-Nev.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) introduced companion legislation in the House.
The text of the BUMP Act is available HERE. A list of quotes from supportive organizations is available HERE. A summary of the bill is available HERE.