Senator Cory Booker (D., N.J.) on Monday introduced an ambitious gun control proposal as part of his 2020 presidential platform that calls for the establishment of a national licensing program for gun owners.
Under Booker’s proposal, which represents the most aggressive set of gun control policies yet unveiled by a 2020 candidate, anyone seeking to buy a gun would have to undergo a gun safety course and sit for an interview in order to obtain a 5-year gun-owners license.
“My plan to address gun violence is simple — we will make it harder for people who should not have a gun to get one,” Booker said in a statement. “I am sick and tired of hearing thoughts and prayers for the communities that have been shattered by gun violence.”
The proposal also calls for banning assault-weapons, bump-stocks, and high-capacity magazines, as well as limiting the number of guns that can be purchased at once. It would also close the so-called boyfriend loophole, which would prevent anyone convicted of abusing their romantic partner from buying a gun. Under current law, only those convicted of abusing their spouses are prevented.
Booker’s plan also calls for an investigation into the NRA’s tax exempt status, making good on his campaign promise to “bring the fight to the NRA.” The New York attorney general is currently investigating whether the NRA is entitled to tax exempt status, sparking an internal battle within the organization’s leadership between proponents of reform and defenders of the status quo.