; Whereas with the rise over time of sales in no questions asked transactions, 40 percent of guns sold in the United States are now done so without a Brady background check; Whereas the ban on the sale of assault weapons and large capacity ammunition magazines expired in 2004; Whereas, in 2016, the number of homicides due to gunshot wounds spiked again in cities such as Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and New Orleans; Whereas this trend of increasing gun violence may spread; Whereas in the 16 States that require background checks of private gun sales, there are 38 percent fewer fatal shootings of women by their partners, 39 percent fewer police murdered by guns, 17 percent fewer firearm aggravated assaults, and 49 percent fewer suicides using guns; Whereas murder due to gunshot wounds climbed 25 percent in Missouri when universal background checks were lifted; Whereas, on average, 33,880 deaths per year in the United States were due to guns; and Whereas it would be appropriate to designate June 2017 as National Gun Violence Awareness Month : Now, therefore, be it