“While the The Second Amendment provides Americans with a Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, that right comes with great responsibilities,” said Mayor Gimenez. “One of those responsibilities is supporting background checks that can save lives by keeping guns out of the hands of those who should not have them. I join my fellow Mayors – from across the political spectrum and across the nation – in supporting this common-sense action that will help make us all safer.”  

Since its creation in 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 1,000 mayors from across the country -- including Republicans, Democrats, and independents. The coalition also has more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making it the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns has united the nation's mayors around the need for sensible gun policies that will stem the flow of illegal guns into our communities and keep guns away from dangerous individuals -- all while respecting the Second Amendment. 

Among the coalition's top priorities is extending comprehensive and enforceable background checks to cover private gun sales, including at gun shows and over the Internet. Under current federal law, only licensed gun dealers are required to conduct background checks on buyers. But in most states, criminals and other prohibited purchasers can avoid background checks by buying guns from unlicensed "private sellers" -- often at gun shows or over the Internet -- who are not required by law to conduct them. An estimated 6.6 million guns are transferred each year without a background check.

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