Julia Brownley was first elected to Congress in 2012 to serve as the Representative for California’s 26th District, which encompasses most of Ventura County and a portion of Los Angeles County, including the cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ojai, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Camarillo, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, along with some areas of Simi Valley.
As her first committee assignment, Congresswoman Brownley requested to serve on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, where she works closely with Ventura County’s veterans community and Naval Base Ventura County, making sure we provide the services and care our servicemembers, veterans, and their families have earned and deserve. Brownley was elected as Chairwoman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health. Brownley is also the founder and Chairwoman of the Committee’s Women Veterans Task Force.
Americans are 25 times more likely to be killed by a gun than residents in any other developed nation. No single policy is going to stop every shooting – but there are clearly ways to prevent gun violence that can save lives.
As a member of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, I share the deep disappointment of many of my constituents that common-sense gun safety legislation has failed to pass Congress.
Congress must improve our nation’s gun safety laws. I support strengthening background checks on gun purchases, reinstating the assault weapons ban, and prohibiting high-capacity magazines, as well as so-called ‘bump stocks.’ We also need better mental health laws to ensure that people with a severe mental illness and criminals do not have easy access to deadly weapons. That is why I also support legislation to allow family members to seek a court order to prevent a loved one from purchasing firearms, if the court finds the individual poses a risk of injury to themselves or others.