Virginia congresswoman joins House task force to combat gun violence

Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan of Virginia announced today that she has formally joined the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.

The Task Force, a bipartisan group of lawmakers working to find common-sense solutions to reduce gun violence in the United States, is chaired by Congressman Mike Thompson of California. The group was formed after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012. In the 117^th Congress, the Task Force had more than 180 members, and played a leadership role in securing the most significant gun violence prevention legislation in 30 years with the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, higher funding to run the background checks program and research gun violence, and programs to break the cycle of violence.

“The gun violence epidemic is one of the greatest challenges of our time,” McClellan said. “When people go to the grocery store, school, work, or their place of worship, they should not have to worry about whether they will come home or become the latest victim of gun violence. As a mother to two young children, I am fully committed to developing smart policy solutions to combat this pervasive issue and help minimize the tragic loss of life in our communities. I thank Chairman Thompson for his leadership on this task force, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address this pressing issue.”

McClellan has been an advocate for gun violence prevention and stricter gun laws. She spoke last week at a Democratic Caucus press conference about the need to address the gun violence epidemic and contributing factors, including the mental health crisis in America. She cosponsored H.R. 698, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2023 and H.R. 1699 to establish the Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

As a member of the Virginia General Assembly, she fought for commonsense solutions to reduce gun violence, including legislation to establish a Center for Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund to invest in community-based programs that seek out the rook causes of gun violence.

“Gun violence is a massive threat to our communities, from mass shootings like Nashville to the daily gun violence that takes the lives of over 100 Americans every day. It is essential that new leaders in Congress are involved in gun violence prevention. I am thrilled to have Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan join the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force,” Thompson said. “Jennifer will be a great addition to the Task Force and will help us champion the common-sense gun violence prevention measures that will help save lives in Virginia and our country.”