Silence is Deafening

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, between the time that 20 little children and 6 teachers were shot at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the 49 people that were slaughtered in Orlando, we have stood on this floor 27 times for a moment of silence. We send our condolences and our thoughts and prayers, and then the gavel sounds and we go back to business as usual. Well, 2 weeks ago, the Democrats in this House said no more silence. The silence has become deafening.

In the city of Chicago, we lost 70 people in the month of June to gun deaths. There is no moment of silence for them. They are women, children, men, sons, husbands.

We have the ability in the House of Representatives to save lives-- not every life, but a lot of lives--and the moments of silence, of doing nothing, have run out. It is time for us to act. We have two bills on our agenda that would begin to address the problem. Republicans have to join with us to act now. The silence is too deafening.

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