Regional Leadership Council Meets with Everytown for Gun Safety Leaders to Discuss Implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

April 28, 2023

WASHINGTON, DC – This morning, members of the Regional Leadership Council (RLC) met with leaders from Everytown for Gun Safety, including Senior Legal Director Rob Wilcox, Director of Implementation Chelsea Parsons, and Federal Counsel Jack Budish, to discuss the implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). Enhancing background checks for buyers under the age of twenty-one, disarming domestic abusers, investing in mental-health services, and empowering law enforcement to keep firearms out of the hands of those who would use them to harm others, the BSCA will touch every community impacted by gun violence. The RLC – along with key partners like Everytown – will continue supporting the effort to identify funds and programs, implement these measures, and inform Americans about how these changes will help address our gun-violence epidemic.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries created the Regional Leadership Council in January 2023 and appointed Congressman Hoyer to serve as its Chair. In addition to Congressman Hoyer, the council consists of twelve Members who each represent one of the United States' twelve regions. The council is working to ensure that Americans in every corner of the country and in every zip code can access the opportunities created by the historic polices that Democrats secured in the 117th Congress, including the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the Honoring Our PACT Act, and many others.

"As members of the Regional Leadership Council, we have the critical job of making sure folks have the information they need to utilize the transformational investments we passed last Congress. To do that successfully, it’s important for us to hear directly from the people on the ground that are laser focused on the specific issues those investments were designed for, which is why I organized this meeting," said Rep. Huffman, representative for Region 2. "Everytown for Gun Safety has developed a truly impressive program and is leading the charge across the U.S. to help implement the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. By hearing from them directly about their work – which branches across states, agencies, and communities in every region – we’re now able to identify ways we can best support and elevate these efforts. I will keep pushing to foster this kind of collaboration for all of our investments so we can fully realize the benefits of these historic laws."

"From Uvalde to Newtown, Colorado Springs to Buffalo, El Paso to Las Vegas, communities in every part of America have been forced to contend with the tragedy of gun violence." Chairman Hoyer said after the meeting. "The enactment of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act last summer was a crucial first step in breaking the cycle of inaction perpetuated by Republicans in Congress. Just as Democrats were united in our effort to enact that legislation, our steadfast cooperation continues as we push for its swift implementation. The Regional Leadership Council is playing a leading role in that mission, which is why we were pleased to meet with the leadership team at Everytown for Gun Safety earlier today to discuss how we can maximize the BSCA's positive impact on communities across the country."

"The billions of dollars in funding from last summer’s landmark gun safety law to support state crisis intervention programs like Red Flag laws, community violence prevention programs, and other school safety programs and mental health services, will save lives," said Rob Wilcox, Federal Legal Director at Everytown for Gun Safety. "The Regional Leadership Council plays a key role in continuing to work with the Biden-Harris Administration to ensure that these programs are implemented in the most effective ways possible to end gun violence."