June 9, 2022 4:00 a.m.

On Wednesday, Congressman Peter DeFazio voted in supported of H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act.

DeFazio called the legislation “…a package of commonsense gun safety bills that would address the tragic rise in the occurrence of mass shootings and help save lives”.

DeFazio said, “Mass shootings have become a uniquely American event, and its beyond time that Congress takes action to enact change and help save lives. Today, the House has taken strong action and I implore my colleagues in the Senate to find the courage to do the same”.

A release said according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, guns have become the number one killer of children in America. The recent shooting in Uvalde, Texas, marked the 27th school shooting in the country alone this year.

The legislation passed on a 223-204 vote with five Republicans supporting the package and two Democrats, including Oregon’s Fifth District Congressman Kurt Schrader, voting no.

Talks on the proposal continue in the Senate.