Johanns Cosponsors Amendment to Gun Legislation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) today cosponsored an amendment to Sen. Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) gun control legislation. The amendment was introduced by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and has the support of Second Amendment organizations.

“This is commonsense legislation that actually balances the need to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them while respecting the right every law-abiding American has under our Constitution,” Johanns said. “We must focus our efforts on legislation that addresses the underlying causes of gun-related violence. We owe it to the victims of gun violence and their families to pass laws that actually prevent these atrocities, and we owe it to all Americans to protect the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. The Grassley amendment does just that.”
The Grassley amendment focuses on finding solutions to the real tangible problems that lead to acts of gun violence by fixing inadequacies in the current background check system, enhancing enforcement of current laws, addressing mental illness, and strengthening school security.
The amendment also contains Johanns’ Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act and protects private firearm transfers from mandatory background checks. This would continue the practice of allowing firearms to be transferred between family members, neighbors and close friends without the need for an FBI background check.