Cory Booker unveils plan to address gun violence, if elected president
Sen. Cory Booker rolled out his plan to combat gun violence on Monday in an email to supporters titled, "I'm sick and tired of thoughts and prayers."
His campaign team calls the plan "the most sweeping gun violence prevention proposal ever advanced by a presidential candidate."
Some of his plan expands on legislation he has proposed in the past including banning assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and bump stocks.
A major focus of his new plan is to put pressure on gun manufacturers to comply with new regulations and to impose rigorous oversight over their products. It also promises to make it easier for people who are affected by gun violence to challenge these manufacturers in court by repealing The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which shields companies from liability if their product is used in a crime.
Booker, who has previously vowed to "bring a fight to the NRA like they have never ever seen before," said he would begin to implement his plan on day one, if elected president, and recommends new regulations that the National Rifle Association has lobbied against, such as universal background checks.
Under his plan, a person seeking to purchase a gun would have to submit their fingerprints, basic background information and complete a certified, gun safety course. The FBI would then run a comprehensive background check before issuing a federal gun license that would be renewable every five years.
"Just as a driver's license demonstrates a person's eligibility and proficiency to drive a car, a gun license demonstrates that a person is eligible and can meet certain basic safety and training standards necessary to own a gun," a Medium post published on his behalf said.
The plan vows to close the "loopholes" that make it possible for domestic abusers and people on terrorist watchlists to obtain guns.
Booker's efforts to reform gun laws date back to when he was mayor of Newark and joined the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, a group of over 1,000 current and former mayors who advocated for reforms locally and at the federal level.
Earlier this year, Booker co-sponsored a bill that would ban selling, manufacturing, transferring and importing assault weapons.
"I am tired of going to funerals where parents are burying their children," the senator wrote. "I am sick of hearing only thoughts and prayers for the communities that have been shattered by gun violence. It is horrific that Americans have to live in fear of going to their houses of worship, schools, or movie theaters."
