Dear Senator:

We are entrepreneurs, executives, and small business owners who have grown increasingly concerned about the cost of gun violence in our communities. Though we may not agree with one another on every aspect of gun safety proposals, recent attacks have convinced us of the need for immediate, bipartisan legislation to prevent unlicensed gun dealers from ignoring federal background checks.

Background checks are a common-sense solution that has blocked more than 3.5 million illegal gun sales to prohibited purchasers since 1994. Current federal law, however, covers only federally licensed firearms dealers. While licensed gun dealers play by the rules, unlicensed dealers operate outside the system, putting the rest of us at greater risk. That’s why more than 90 percent of Americans support legislation to expand background checks, including 89 percent of gun owners.

More than 100 people are shot and killed in the United States each day, on average, and more than 230 others are shot and wounded. Gun violence costs American taxpayers, employers, survivors, families and communities more than $280 billion per year. Businesses like ours lose $1.4 million every day in productivity, revenue, and costs associated with victims of gun violence.

We urge the Senate to pass bipartisan background checks legislation.

Sincerely,