Combating Gun Violence

Floor Speech

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Mrs. TRAHAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today with a great sense of urgency.

Every day it seems as if there is another news story about a shooting in a school, a movie theater, a synagogue, or on a city block. We have lost far too many lives due to gun violence.

From my own community, I celebrate the life of Olivia Marchand from Westford, whose mother, Jody, endured years of domestic abuse. In 2010, she survived her husband's brutal attack but lost her beautiful Olivia when her husband shot and killed her and then killed himself.

This tragedy devastated our whole community. As a mother, this loss still fills me with grief and anger.

Today, Jody keeps her daughter's memory alive, educates women on domestic violence, and fights for tougher gun laws. We must answer America's call for action on gun violence, not the gun lobby's call to maintain the status quo.

Yesterday, we passed universal background check legislation, a necessary first step to tackle gun violence in America. I urge my colleagues to continue voting for these critical reforms.

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