Gun Violence

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago today, I sat down right there on this floor next to John Lewis. Gathered around were House Democrats demanding a simple demand: that we have a vote on two bills that would make our streets safer from gun violence.

Last week when I went home, I stood with hundreds of people on Federal Plaza in Chicago demanding the very same thing. We sat down as we stood up for gun safety.

Right now, hundreds of people are outside, some standing on the steps, 91 of them wearing orange T-shirts, representing the average of 91 Americans killed by guns every day in the United States of America.

I am from Chicago, and just last night, NBC News ran a story on gun violence in Chicago, titled, ``City Under Siege.'' Over the Fourth of July weekend, 50 people were shot in Chicago. Three of the victims were children, including two young cousins, 8 and 5 years old, who were shot while celebrating with their family. On one street, someone put a handmade sign that read, ``Don't shoot kids at play.''

The stories of children caught in the middle of the ongoing gun violence epidemic are seemingly endless.

Just last week, D'Antignay Brashear was walking down the street in Chicago with her 4-year-old son, Kavan, when he was shot in the face. Speaking about the shooting the next day, D'Antignay said: ``He was with me. He was holding my hand.'' She thought he was safe.

We cannot accept the status quo when children are unsafe walking down the street holding their mother's hand.

Kavan survived. But his mother said: ``How am I going to explain to him when he looks in the mirror and sees his face?'' I wonder, how do we explain to Kavan and his mother that this House refused to take action to prevent this from happening to him or to any other child?

Inaction in the face of these daily tragedies is simply not acceptable anymore.

Chicago and Illinois are trying to respond to this crisis, but we need Federal action. Chicago has increased its police presence. Law enforcement takes an illegal gun off the streets of Chicago every 75 minutes. Illinois has enacted reasonable gun violence prevention measures.

There is no way for Chicago or Illinois to keep up with the influx of guns that are coming from across State lines. Sixty percent of the firearms used in Chicago gun crimes come from out of State. Most come from just one State: Indiana. The bloodshed in Chicago doesn't start with the pull of a trigger; it starts when the gun is purchased without necessary precautions.

In Indiana, no license or permit is required to purchase a gun. There is no registration of weapons. There is no waiting period to purchase a gun. There are no restrictions on assault weapons. Any individual can take advantage of the lack of gun violence prevention laws in Indiana, and they do. Individuals purchase firearms at gun shows with no background checks at all and drive them back to Chicago, across the State line, where they wind up on our city streets.

No State can address the gun violence epidemic alone. We need Federal action to require background checks on all gun purchases. Universal comprehensive background checks will keep guns out of the hands of criminals, domestic abusers, and the severely mentally ill. Universal background checks will not stop every gun death, no--no single piece of legislation, not all the legislation in the world--but they will certainly help. They will save lives.

We simply can't stay silent any longer. Each day, eight people are shot in Chicago, the American people are demanding action, and it is time that the House listened to them.

Speaker Ryan, call the bills. Maybe they will pass and maybe they won't. The American people want to see what we are doing here on the floor of the House to make sure that no more children holding their mom's hand crossing the street are shot again. Give us a vote.

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