Gun Safety

Martin recognizes the urgent need for common sense gun safety measures to protect our communities while respecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. He is a national leader in tackling gun violence, and believes that responsible gun ownership and sensible regulations can coexist, ensuring the safety and security of all New Mexicans. Martin has been a staunch advocate for legislation that addresses gun violence and promotes safer communities.

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How Martin Has Delivered for New Mexicans:

• Championed the effort to limit assault-weapon style guns. Martin’s GOSAFE Act is a commonsense measure aimed at saving lives and reducing the carnage of mass shootings by regulating firearms based on inherently dangerous and unusually lethal internal mechanisms. Prioritizing public safety while safeguarding Second Amendment rights, this legislation would limit the gas-operated semi-automatic guns used in mass shootings.
• Increased criminal penalties for those who get guns into the wrong hands. In the wake of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Martin helped negotiate and pass the Safer Communities Act, bipartisan legislation to reduce gun violence in America. In addition to delivering funding for mental health and improving laws to protect victims of violence, Martin specifically negotiated language to increase the criminal penalties for those who help get guns into the wrong hands, known as ‘straw purchasers’. His provision helps law enforcement stop criminals from using go-betweens to buy guns.
• Criminalized firearm trafficking to Mexico. Martin has been at the forefront of addressing the international dimensions of crime and the root causes of migration. In 2022, he successfully criminalized the trafficking of firearms into Mexico, aiming to disrupt the flow of illegal weapons that contribute to violence both in Mexico and the Northern Triangle. His legislation not only targets the source of many criminal activities but also reduces the factors that drive people to flee their homes in search of safety in America.
• Closed the “boyfriend” and “gun show” loopholes. Martin successfully passed legislation to close the “boyfriend loophole” and the “gun show loophole” in federal background checks for firearm purchases. These important reforms ensure that individuals who purchase guns at a gun show and those with a history of domestic violence cannot evade background checks to buy guns.
• Led effort to ban bump stocks and ghost guns. Martin successfully urged the federal government to outlaw bump stocks, a device used with semi-automatic weapons to maximize the speed and number of bullets fired. He now leads the effort to make that ban permanent, as well as legislation to ban ghost guns and their parts, recognizing that ghost guns have become the weapon of choice for criminals who cannot buy guns any other way.