In the same time it takes you to read this sentence, a computerized background check can stop a criminal from legally buying a gun. Those few moments have prevented more than one million felons and fugitives from walking into a gun store and walking out with a gun.

But unlike gun shops, no background check is required to buy a gun at a gun show, where so-called "private dealers" display hundreds of weapons. What this means is chilling: in many states, a convicted felon can walk into a gun show and walk out with an assault weapon - no questions asked.

So how can such an enormous loophole in our gun laws continue to exist? The answer shouldn't surprise you - the NRA has fought to keep this glaring end run of our gun laws open.

It's time to shut the loophole down. And I have introduced a bill to do just that.

I have a record of standing up to the gun lobby - and winning. I wrote the law that has denied 150,000 guns to domestic abusers. The NRA and the rest of the gun lobby launched a tremendous lobbying effort to stop my domestic violence gun ban, but we beat them. Its time to do it again.

After the terrible shootings at Virginia Tech one year ago, Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia convened a bi-partisan Blue Ribbon panel to examine how to prevent future tragedies. One of their top recommendations was to close the gun show loophole.

Let's honor their wise counsel.

Please join me in standing strong against the gun lobby to close the gun show loophole once and for all.

To show your support for this effort, please sign my petition to close this gun show loophole and to keep New Jersey and America safe from gun violence.