Disappointed but Not Defeated

Floor Speech

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Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on July 14, I stood in this very spot to express my disappointment that my Republican colleagues and leadership showed both cowardice and callousness by failing to call up a single commonsense gun violence prevention measure before leaving town for 53 days.

I rise today not just disappointed. Instead, I am ashamed; I am appalled. Republicans adjourned for a historic 7-week recess from D.C. without fulfilling their duty to the American people, and, once again, our most vulnerable communities paid the price.

I am disappointed, but I am not defeated. So I rise today to remind my colleagues of what 7 weeks of Republican inaction looks like.

In my district in Chicago, gun violence claimed the lives of 90 people and injured 375 more in August alone. This Labor Day weekend, Chicago passed 500 homicides for the year, the first time we have crossed this threshold in two decades.

Outside of my district, 7 weeks of congressional inaction meant that more than 4,100 families lost a loved one to gun violence. In 2016, gun violence has taken the lives of almost 10,000 and wounded more than 20,000; 10,000 people killed by guns in less than 9 months--10,000.

When will this number be high enough for us to take action? Who has to die for us to have the courage to pass commonsense gun legislation? Why does Democrats sitting in protest outrage Republicans, but 10,000 deaths merits no response?

We have heard the majority threaten to admonish Democrats for speaking the truth, but 10,000 lives lost to guns gets nothing--no votes, and 7 weeks of inaction.

In this D.C. bubble, it is easy to forget that 10,000 isn't just a number. They are 10,000 mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. Behind each gun death is a family who once celebrated a life, but now mourns the loss of a loved one.

Behind each gun death, there is a fearful mother now too afraid to let her children play outside. Behind each gun death, another small- business owner debates closing up shop for good.

While it is no secret that gun violence affects all communities across our Nation, it is our most underserved neighborhoods that are the most devastated. Congressional inaction allows the most vulnerable in our Nation to continue to suffer.

So I urge my colleagues, let's use this time in September wisely. Let's work together and pass legislation that will reduce gun violence in our communities.

I am not just talking about a need to pass commonsense measures that keeps guns out of the hands of those seeking to do harm. I am talking about a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of this gun violence epidemic.

Too often we boil down this complex problem to talking points about comprehensive background checks, closing loopholes, and improving mental health services when, in reality, it is also about economic opportunity, building trust between the community and law enforcement, as well as passing these commonsense gun violence prevention measures.

In April, I launched the Urban Progress, or UP, Initiative to address these root causes of gun violence. UP partners with local community leaders, activists, business leaders, and elected officials to promote economic opportunity, improve community policing, and build on commonsense gun violence prevention strategies.

With the input from the UP Initiative partners and many of my colleagues here in the House, I introduced the Urban Progress Act, a bill that would ensure that the Federal Government remains committed to reducing the gun violence ravaging our communities.

My bill would reinvest in our economically underserved communities, take steps to restore the vital trust between law enforcement officers and the community, and would keep guns out of the hands of those seeking to do harm.

Mr. Speaker, let's talk about these issues in my bill. Let's debate them. Let's vote on them. I urge my colleagues to listen to the American people.

Lastly, I am outraged that anyone would accuse the President of starting any type of racial issue. The President has spoken about gun violence prevention and preventing cops from getting killed and preventing innocent people from getting killed also, so I am outraged to hear these statements.

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