702 SW 8th Street Bentonville, AR 72716 Phone 479.273.4000 corporate.walmart.com September 3, 2019 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House of Representatives 1236 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader United States Senate 317 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Republican Leader United States House of Representatives H-204, The Capitol Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Chuck Schumer Democratic Leader United States Senate 322 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Madam Speaker, Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer and Leader McCarthy: As Congress returns to session this month, the issue of gun safety is weighing heavily on the minds of many Americans. It certainly is for us at Walmart. Last month, in El Paso, Texas, a gunman with an assault-style rifle launched a hate-filled attack in our store, shooting 48 people resulting in the loss of 22 innocent lives. Just a few days prior, two of our associates were shot and killed by another associate in our store in Southaven, Mississippi. Our immediate priorities in the aftermath of those tragedies were supporting our associates and the impacted families and cooperating with law enforcement. In parallel, we have been focused on store safety and security. We’ve also been listening to people inside and outside our company as we think about the role we can play in helping to make the country safer. It’s clear to us that the status quo is unacceptable. Today, we shared several changes we are making at Walmart: • We will discontinue the sale of short-barrel rifle ammunition such as the .223 caliber and 5.56 caliber that, while commonly used in some hunting rifles, can also be used in large capacity clips on military-style weapons; • We will discontinue the sale of handgun ammunition; and • We will discontinue handgun sales in Alaska, marking our complete exit from handguns. We hope that you are aware that we have previously made decisions to stop selling handguns and military-style rifles such as the AR-15, to raise the age limit to purchase a firearm or ammunition to 21, to require a “green light” on a background check while federal law only requires the absence of a “red light,” to videotape the point of sale for firearms and to only allow certain trained associates to sell firearms. We are also looking at additional steps we can take to bolster store security. There have been multiple incidents since El Paso where individuals attempting to make a statement and test our response have entered our stores carrying weapons in a way that frightened or concerned our associates and customers. Motivated by our desire to maintain a safe environment, we will be respectfully requesting that customers no longer openly carry firearms into our stores or Sam’s Clubs in states where “open carry” is permitted – unless they are authorized law enforcement officers. We believe the opportunity for someone to misinterpret a situation, even in open carry states, could lead to tragic results. In addition, we commit we will work alongside other retailers to make the overall industry safer, including sharing our best practices. For example, we are exploring ways to share the technical specifications and compliance controls for our proprietary firearms sales technology platform. This system navigates the tens of millions of possible combinations of federal, state and local laws, regulations and licensing requirements that come into effect based on where the firearm is being sold and who is purchasing it. We hope that providing this information, free of charge, will help more retailers sell firearms in a responsible, compliant manner. We believe we have been doing our part to make the country safer. But Congress and the Administration need to do their part as well. There are multiple bills before the House and Senate that address the issue of gun safety and are worth examining. Specifically, we are encouraged by bipartisan calls by our nation’s leaders to strengthen background checks and to remove weapons from those who have been determined to pose an imminent danger. We believe it is time for action on these common sense measures. Additionally, we do not sell military-style rifles and will no longer sell ammunition that can be used in them, and we believe the reauthorization of the Assault Weapons ban should be debated to determine its effectiveness. We also encourage Congress to fund research that helps our country better understand the root causes that lead to this type of violent behavior. Given our decades of experience selling firearms, we would be happy to serve as a resource in the national debate on responsible gun sales. We have a long heritage as a company of serving responsible hunters and sportsmen and women and we’re going to continue doing so. We understand our deeply rooted place in America and our influence as the world’s largest retailer, and we understand the responsibility that comes with it. In a complex situation lacking a simple solution, we are trying to take constructive steps to reduce risk to our nation. As we’ve seen before, horrific events like El Paso can occur and then the spotlight fades. We should not allow that to happen. Congress and the Administration should act. Sincerely, Doug McMillon President & Chief Executive Officer Walmart Inc.