Washington • Utah Rep. Ben McAdams on Wednesday joined fellow Democrats to pass legislation expanding federal background checks for gun purchases while Utah’s three Republicans in the House voted against the measure.
The bill, which passed 240-190, is the first time Congress has significantly acted on gun-control legislation since the 2012 Newtown, Conn., massacre of school children and staff and a slew of mass shootings since.
“As a gun owner and a supporter of the Second Amendment, I believe that with rights come responsibilities, including keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, terrorists and domestic abusers,” McAdams said, adding that background checks are a “proven way to stop dangerous individuals from getting a gun, while not interfering with law-abiding gun-owners.