Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker on Monday unveiled a wide-ranging plan to address gun violence in the country.
The New Jersey senator’s plan includes implementing a federal gun licensing program, a ban on assault weapons, investigating the tax-exempt status of the National Rifle Association and limiting gun buyers to one handgun per month, among other proposals.
Booker, who has an “F” rating from the NRA, said last month at his official campaign kick-off in Newark, New Jersey, said he wanted to “bring a fight to the NRA like they have never ever seen before.”
In a statement released Monday, Booker said it was “time for bold action,” adding that if elected, he would take executive action on his first day aimed at gun control.
“In communities across the country, from Newark to Charlotte, from San Diego to Chicago, and everywhere in between, Americans are being killed and families are being torn apart. We must do better. We need to do better," he said.
“I am sick and tired of hearing thoughts and prayers for the communities that have been shattered by gun violence — it is time for bold action.”
Booker’s campaign said that his gun licensing plan is at the center of his gun violence prevention plan. The idea is for a potential gun owner to apply for a license by going into a local office where they would submit fingerprints, sit for an interview and show they have completed an official gun safety course. The FBI would then complete a background check and, if passed, the license would be valid for up to five years. Law enforcement would then conduct regular updates to make sure the licensee is in compliance.
Ten states currently have this kind of process, called permit-to-purchase laws, and recent studies have cited states like Connecticut as evidence that they reduce crime and gun violence.
His plan also includes ending a 2005 law that shields gun companies from being sued by victims and closing the “Charleston loophole,” which allows the sale of a firearm to proceed if a background check is not completed within three days.
