WASHINGTON—Representative Scott Franklin (FL-15) issued the following statement after voting against S.2938, the Safer Communities Act:

“While we must keep guns out of the hands of criminals, this bill would infringe upon the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens while doing little to deter violent crime. The bill funds programs that will strip the right to due process and would effectively make 18-20 year-old adults second class citizens by imposing an arbitrary waiting period on them before they can exercise their Second Amendment rights. We must focus on preventing crimes by at-risk individuals without burdening constitutional rights. That means enforcing existing gun laws and increasing resources and funding for mental healthcare.”