In Missouri’s 4th District, families are exhausted from living in the fear of losing their loved ones to gun violence. For many years, gun violence has been the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States. This is a staggering reality that is deeply personal in our community.

In 2025, our schools, parks, and neighborhoods have become scenes of unimaginable loss. Missouri’s dangerous and alarming lack of gun regulation from permitless carry to no background checks has put the most vulnerable at risk. Yet, some politicians still treat this as a Second Amendment debate, while families bury our children.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about constitutional rights, it’s about lobbyists and  corporate profit. The gun lobby, led by the NRA, has used the Second Amendment as a smokescreen to protect the interests of gun manufacturers. Meanwhile, the majority of  Americans across the country, and especially here in MO-04, support universal background checks, banning assault rifles, raising the gun purchasing age to 21, and funding community intervention programs. Our district deserves bold leadership that listens.

As your Congressmember I will:

• Work to implement universal background checks, 

• Work to close gun show and online loopholes

• Work to raise the minimum gun purchasing age to 21 across the board. 

• We must have Extreme Risk Protection orders and Red Flag laws that empower families to act before a tragedy occurs. 

• Ensure that guns come with mandatory safety locks, storage requirements, and insurance, just like cars. 

• Work to ensure that there is a renewal of gun ownership and required coursework, and mental health screenings. 

• Work to ensure there is funding and adequate investment in community violence intervention programs, school-based trauma services, mental health care, and local organizations already doing the work. 
  

In MO-04, we will work together to stand up against the gun lobby. It is time to lead with courage and compassion, because our children’s lives are worth fighting for.