Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) claimed Wednesday that 90 percent of Americans support the universal background check gun control he introduced last week.
Thompson’s bill, H.R. 8, “Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021” expands retail point-of-sale checks to private sales as well, thereby criminalizing all private gun sales performed without an FBI background check.
While the bill is called “bipartisan,” of its 210 cosponsors, only three are Republicans: Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Chris Smith (NJ), and Fred Upton (MI). All Republican cosponsors have histories of supporting gun control legislation.
On Wednesday, Thompson spoke from the House floor in favor in H.R. 8, then tweeted that the background checks “keep guns out of the hands of those who may be a danger to themselves or others.”
He did not mention the October 1, 2017, Las Vegas attacker passed background checks for his guns. Therefore Thompson’s bill would not have hindered his attack, much less stopped it.
Thompson also failed to note that the June 12, 2016, Orlando Pulse attacker acquired his guns via a background check, as did the February 14, 2018, Parkland high school attacker, and the August 3, 2019, El Paso Walmart attacker.
California has had universal background checks since 1991 and here are just a few examples of high profile attacks not stopped by the checks:
- ABC 7 reported “seven people were killed and three were wounded when a 43-year-old former student opened fire at Oikos University in Oakland, California,” on April 2, 2012.
- Twenty-two-year-old Elliot Roger “killed six people and wounded 13 in shooting and stabbing attacks in the area near the University of California, Santa Barbara,” on May 23, 2014.
- Breitbart News highlighted Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik opened fire in a San Bernardino, California, Health Department Christmas party on December 2, 2015, killing 14 people.
- The Associated Press wrote how 39-year-old Kori Ali Muhammad shot and killed three people in downtown Fresno, California, on April 18, 2017.
- ABC 7 noted that 38-year-old Jimmy Lam “opened fire inside a San Francisco package facility, killing three people and injuring several others” on June 14, 2017.
- Twelve people were killed when a gunman opened fire inside the Borderline Bar & Grill, in Thousand Oaks, California, on November 7, 2018.
- Breitbart News covered a shooting that left three killed and 12 injured on July 28, 2019, at the Gilroy, California, Garlic Festival.
- The New York Times reported an October 31, 2019, shooting that left five dead in Orinda, California.
- On November 18, 2019, the Guardian ran a column titled “Ten Dead After California Sees Three Mass Shootings in Four Days.” Those shootings included the Santa Clarita shooting at Saugus High School and the killing of four individuals during a “family party” in Fresno.
But Thompson is assuring Americans that universal background checks will “keep guns out of the hands of those who may be a danger to themselves or others.”
Moreover, he also tweeted that his bill is supported by “90 percent of the American [people].”
Thompson’s tweet did not contain any proof/substantiation to bolster the “90 percent” claim.
This bill has bipartisan support from 90 percent of the American peopled and it’s long past time to get it enacted into law.
— Mike (Wear A Mask) Thompson (@RepThompson) March 10, 2021
I feel it in the air. The time is so close. Weapons are being built at a feverish pace all around my neighborhood. Meetings of focused neighbors who are organized and ready. It’s time folks. God speed.