Gun Violence Prevention
The gun violence epidemic in America continues to shatter communities large and small across our country, including in our district. In 2022, I was proud to vote for sensible, bipartisan gun violence legislation - the first such legislation to pass Congress in over 30 years - but much more needs to be done.
I support banning military-style assault weapons that are designed to kill as many people as possible in seconds. It is not a coincidence that they are the weapon of choice for mass shootings, and they have no place in our communities. I also support universal background checks so that we can keep guns out of the hands of people that should not have them.
Overwhelming majorities of Americans support common sense reforms that will help save innocent lives. I will continue to work in Congress to find bipartisan agreement on sensible legislation to do just that.
More on Gun Violence Prevention
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) announced his guest for the State of the Union address: Kristen Ziman, Chief of Police of the Aurora Police Department.
Alex Ortiz, the Herald-News
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster held a panel discussion about gun violence Wednesday night in Joliet Township.
Foster, D-Naperville, and the panel shared their thoughts about the issue and possible solutions before fielding questions from several audience members at St. John Missionary Baptist Church.
Megan Jones, Aurora Beacon-News
A new bill that would require a national mandatory three-day waiting period when buying a gun could help save lives from gun violence and suicide, a Harvard Business School professor said at a roundtable discussion on gun safety in Aurora.
The study, authored by Harvard professor Deepak Malhotra, Michael Luca and Christopher Poliquin, found that handgun waiting periods reduce gun homicides by 17% and gun suicides by 10%.
Durbin, Duckworth, Foster, Underwood also press FBI to immediately conduct a review to ensure records of felony and domestic violence misdemeanor convictions are being appropriately shared across FBI databases
Patrick M. O'Connell, Chicago Tribune
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, whose district includes the warehouse in Aurora where a gunman killed five people last week, said Tuesday he is hopeful a House bill strengthening background check requirements for gun owners will have bipartisan support and help jump-start changes to the country's gun laws.
Naperville, IL - Last night, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) hosted a community forum to discuss gun violence. Over 300 people attended Community Christian Church to listen to speakers and ask questions.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) released the following statement for the national gun violence walkout:
Aurora, IL – Last night, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) hosted a telephone town hall discussion about the public health crisis posed by gun violence in America, as well as what Congress can do right now to reduce gun violence in communities across the country.
Nearly 3,400 residents of the 11th Congressional District joined the call, and several had the opportunity to ask questions.
''Today, I joined colleagues, community leaders, and advocates at a press conference in Chicago to demand immediate action to address the gun violence that plagues too many communities in Illinois and across the country. The facts are disturbingly clear: gun violence is a public health crisis, and Congress should act now to address it. The overwhelming majority of Americans – Democrats and Republicans – support common sense measures that would close background check loopholes and prohibit anyone who belongs on the no-fly list from purchasing firearms.
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) called President Obama's announcement of executive actions to curb gun violence "an important step."
"The actions announced by President Obama are an important step to curb the tragic epidemic of violence that is tearing apart communities," said Foster. "The President's proposals will improve background checks, increase enforcement, expand access to mental health care and drive research into gun safety."