U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria represents Virginia's Second Congressional District. Prior to her election in 2018, Rep. Luria served two decades in the Navy, retiring at the rank of Commander. Rep. Luria served at sea on six ships as a nuclear-trained Surface Warfare Officer, deployed to the Middle East and Western Pacific, and culminated her Navy career by commanding a combat-ready unit of 400 sailors. Vice Chair of the House Armed Services Committee and a member the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Rep. Luria was one of the first women in the Navy's nuclear power program and among the first women to serve the entirety of her career in combatant ships. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where she is the committee's Vice Chair, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, where she serves as Chair of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee, and the House Committee on Homeland Security. Of all members in the House Democratic Caucus, she served the longest on active duty, having completed 20 years of active military service with the U.S. Navy. Rep. Luria graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and received a master's in engineering management from Old Dominion University.
As a former Navy Commander and now as a Member of Congress, I took an oath to protect this nation and its people, while simultaneously swearing to protect our Constitution. I believe that law-abiding citizens should be able to own guns, but commonsense measures are necessary to keep our communities safe from gun violence.
I joined the bipartisan effort to require universal background checks for gun purchases or transfers, with commonsense exceptions for gun transfers between immediate family members, and temporary transfers for the purpose of hunting or target shooting. On February 27, 2019, I voted for the Bipartisan Background Checks Act (H.R. 8), which passed the House of Representatives and is pending in the Senate
This issue took on even greater urgency after the mass shooting in Virginia Beach on May 31, 2019. Along with all members of the Virginia Beach community, I will forever remember and honor the individuals who were tragically taken from their families and loved ones. I introduced a resolution to honor the lives that we lost during our community's darkest day. This resolution will help us properly remember the victims and honor the heroism that emerged from this tragedy.
Large-capacity ammunition magazines (gun magazines that could hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition) have emerged as a popular tool among mass shooters. These magazines allow people to fire more bullets at a faster rate. That is why I supported the Keep Americans Safe Act (H.R. 1186). If signed into law, it would prohibit the possession or transfer of large-capacity ammunition magazines.
I am also a cosponsor of the Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Act. This bill would allow family members, therapists, law enforcement, and others to petition a judge to sign a protective order to prevent an individual from purchasing or retaining their firearm for a certain period if they are determined to be a danger to themselves or others.
Most recently, I cosponsored the Assault Weapons Ban of 2019 (H.R. 1296). This bipartisan legislation would prohibit the importation, transfer, or sale of semiautomatic weapons. At the same time, it respects the rights of law-abiding gunowners by not instituting a buy-back or repossession program for semiautomatic weapons or bump stocks.
I am confident we can help protect our communities while preserving law-abiding citizens' 2nd Amendment rights.