Lawler's Record on Gun Safety

Despite gun violence now being the leading cause of death for children in the U.S., Lawler’s legislative actions raise concerns about the effectiveness and sincerity of his "common sense" approach to gun safety.

In June 2023, Lawler, along with 216 other Republicans, voted for H.J. Res. 44, which sought to repeal an ATF rule requiring the registration of firearm stabilizing braces. These devices, which convert handguns into more powerful weapons resembling short-barreled rifles, have been involved in multiple mass shootings, including those in Boulder, Colorado; Dayton, Ohio; and Nashville, Tennessee. Despite their lethality, Lawler supported the repeal of this regulation, weakening a control designed to enhance public safety.

In contrast, Lawler points to his co-sponsorship of H.R. 7040, as proof of his common sense approach, this bill extends the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 for another decade. The Act, which was originally introduced under President Reagan, prohibits firearms that cannot be detected by common security devices like metal detectors. Though this "no-brainer" renewal has bipartisan support and has been routinely extended since its inception; it is largely symbolic compared to the more contentious, meaningful reforms currently stalled in Congress (and which Lawler has not co-sponsored or openly supported). These include:

·    H.R. 715 – Expanding background checks to private firearm sales,

·  H.R. 3018 – Introducing federal extreme risk protection orders (red  flag laws),

·     H.R. 660 (Ethan’s Law) – Mandating safe storage of firearms in homes with children.

Lawler's record as a New York State Assemblyman reflects similar opposition to substantive gun control. Following the mass shootings in Buffalo, Uvalde, and Sandy Hook, Governor Kathy Hochul signed new gun control laws on June 6, 2022, some of which Lawler opposed, including:

·  S.9458/A.10503 – Raising the minimum age for purchasing semiautomatic rifles to 21,

·  S.9229-A/A.10428-A – Eliminating grandfather clauses for large-capacity ammunition magazines,

·    S.4116-A/A.7926-A – Enhancing the tracing of guns to solve crimes.

Furthermore, Lawler voted against two key bills:

· S07760 (2021-2022) – Requiring quarterly reports on firearms used in crimes in New York,

·  S07196 (2021-2022) – Declaring the illegal use of firearms a public nuisance and public health crisis, and mandating that the gun industry implement reasonable controls to prevent illegal firearms use.