Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) introduced two bicameral bills to investigate marketing practices of the gun industry and to implement consumer safety standards for guns. After years of evading commonsense consumer practices, the gun industry will be held to the same safety and marketing standards as other industries under Rep. Kelly’s Responsible Firearms Marketing Act and Firearm Safety Act.
“For far too long, the gun lobby has held politicians in its clutches, but I’ve taken on the gun lobby—and won,” said Rep. Kelly. “I’m taking the fight to the gun industry’s pocketbooks because they should not be able to profit off gun violence and death. The gun industry advertises the number one killer of children and teenagers—to children and teenagers themselves. It’s sick and twisted. Guns should be sold responsibly with the basic safety standards expected for such deadly weapons.”
The Responsible Firearms Marketing Act, cosponsored by U.S. Senator Dick Blumenthal (D-CT) and 14 U.S. Representatives, would direct the Federal Trade Commission to launch an investigation into the advertising and marketing practices of gun manufacturers.
“Deceptive firearms marketing exploits and fuels gun violence — and must be stopped. Our goal is to hold accountable gun manufacturers who prey on vulnerable consumers to fatten their profits. Turning a blind eye to these dishonest advertisements and promotional campaigns will continue to threaten public safety,” said Senator Blumenthal. “Wrongdoers must be held accountable. Our legislation – along with the FTC’s enforcement – will prevent the industry from peddling these dangerous weapons of war by misleading buyers.”
The investigation would focus on advertisements that appeal to children, imply or encourage illegal use of weapons, and sell assault weapons commonly used in mass shootings. Semiautomatic assault weapons are often the gun of choice for mass shooters due to its rapid-fire rate, causing maximum carnage.
Some examples of the gun industry’s marketing and advertising practices include:
- Wee 1 Tactical: This Illinois-headquartered gun manufacturer advertised the “JR-15,” a child-sized AR-15 semiautomatic rifle. It included the tagline, “Get ‘em One Like Yours,” and the gun was decorated with cartoon skulls and crossbones.
- Daniel Defense: Daniel Defense posted a child holding an assault rifle with the caption, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it,” invoking a Bible verse. Days later, a gunman armed with a Daniel Defense AR-15 killed 21 people and injured 18 others at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
- Smith & Wesson: A gunman killed seven people and injured 48 more at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois. He used a Smith & Wesson M&P15 semiautomatic rifle, abbreviated for “Military and Police.” Smith & Wesson advertisements often feature military associations aimed at young male civilians, promising they will “Experience More Adrenaline.”
- Mean Arms: This manufacturer’s magazine lock, a device that locks a magazine onto a semiautomatic rifle, was sold with removal instructions, allowing for higher magazine capacity. The shooter who killed ten people in a racist attack in Buffalo, New York, wrote in his manifesto how he easily removed the lock to add 30-round magazines, which are illegal in New York.
The Firearm Safety Act, cosponsored by U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and 31 U.S. Representatives, would remove the exclusion of pistols, revolvers, and other guns from the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s definition of “consumer product.” This would allow the Commission to issue safety standards such as warning labels on guns and ammunition and recalls on defective guns. There’s been multiple incidents of the SIG Sauer P320 pistol firing without the trigger being pulled, yet SIG Sauer refuses to recall its flagship gun.
“Every year 500 Americans lose their lives because of a defective firearm yet there are no comprehensive safety regulations to recall weapons with manufacturing defects or known hazards,” said Senator Booker. “Decades ago, the gun lobby ensured that firearms became the only consumer product in America exempt from federal health and safety regulations. Today, they are the leading cause of death for children and teens. This is unacceptable, and Congress has a responsibility to put lives ahead of special interests and close this loophole so that guns are treated like all other consumer products.”
Currently, CPSC has jurisdiction over more than 15,000 consumer products, including toys, coffee, lawn mowers — or any product that poses “unreasonable risks of serious injury or death.” Yet, guns and ammunition are not regulated, despite more than 4.6 million children living in homes with an unsecured gun.
Both bills are endorsed by Brady United, Everytown, GIFFORDS, Newtown Action Alliance, and Community Justice.
“To end the gun violence epidemic in our country, Congress must make meaningful reforms to rein in the profit-driven gun industry that has armed this crisis without accountability,” said Kris Brown, President of Brady United. “The Responsible Firearms Marketing Act and the Firearm Safety Act will jump start this change by banning the gun industry’s predatory marketing practices towards children and teens and by allowing the Consumer Product Safety Commission to set commonsense safety standards for firearm sales. Brady is grateful to Representative Kelly for introducing these life-saving bills and for her long-standing dedication to freeing America from gun violence.”
“Just like other industries, the gun industry should be held accountable for how it markets products to the public, and especially to children,” said Emma Brown, Executive Director at GIFFORDS. “Rep. Kelly’s bills seek to put commonsense safeguards in place to keep Americans, and especially children, safe. GIFFORDS urges Congress to use its power to check the gun industry and keep consumers safe by passing these bills.”
“Gun manufacturers have shown us exactly who they are: companies willing to target children with deceptive ads for weapons of war to secure the next generation of customers. At a time when firearms are the number one killer of American children and teens, this is immoral and dangerous,” said Po Murray, Chairwoman of Newtown Action Alliance. “As a neighbor of the gunman who killed 26 children and educators with an AR-15 at Sandy Hook Elementary School—and someone who has witnessed the devastation caused when lethal weapons are easily accessible and aggressively marketed—I know these reforms are long overdue. Congress must act swiftly and decisively to protect our children.”
“Congresswoman Robin Kelly has always been a leader when it comes to holding the gun industry accountable for their role in our nation’s gun violence crisis. We cannot allow the industry to irresponsibly market firearms, especially to children and minors for whom guns are the number one cause of their premature death,” said Adzi Vokhiwa, Vice President of Policy at Community Justice Action Fund. “Additionally, it is critical that guns themselves are properly regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ensure that the appropriate safety standards are upheld. We thank Congresswoman Kelly for introducing the Firearm Safety and Responsible Marketing Firearms Acts to address these important gaps in the law and urge Congress to pass these bills swiftly.”