Stopping Gun Violence

Floor Speech

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Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today for Hadiya Pendleton, taken by gun violence on January 23, 2013. She was 15.

I rise for Terrell Bosley, taken by gun violence on April 4, 2006. He was 18 and unloading musical instruments from a car.

I rise for Blair Holt, taken by gun violence on May 7, 2007. He was 16 and died shielding others from bullets.

Today I rise for Gregory Shondale, killed yesterday. He was 41.

Madam Speaker, I rise for them and for all those taken from us by senseless gun violence that continues unchecked in our Nation because of inaction on the part of the Senate Majority Leader and the President.

I rise today more than 100 days after this House, the people's House, sent bipartisan universal background check legislation, H.R. 8, to the Senate, which has failed to consider any legislation for more than 8 weeks.

I rise today for the 100 Americans who will lose their lives to gun violence today and Americans who will be shot, survive, and face a lifetime of recovery. That will be 210 Americans.

I rise because someone must--someone must--stand up to speak for those who have had their voices silenced by gun violence. Someone must speak for the mom of five who suffered domestic violence, found the courage to leave her abusive relationship, and ended up dead because her abuser had easy access to a gun.

Someone must speak up for the little girl playing in the park who was gunned down because guns are more common than schools in her neighborhood.

Someone must speak for the veteran and the farmer who face what seem like insurmountable odds with no way out, who tragically end their own life.

Someone must speak for those killed at Pulse and at supermarkets because of who they are and whom they love.

Someone must speak for the person, often a young Black man, who will be gunned down by a cop who shot first and asked questions later.

Someone must speak for the first responders who are taking their own lives at alarming rates. Someone must speak for them.

Someone must tell the story of everyday gun violence that plagues our communities from Chicago to Key West.

Too often, this House focuses on the mass shooting tragedies in this Nation that have become more and more common since our Republican colleagues allowed the assault weapons ban to expire in 2004. We hold moments of silence. My colleagues run to their tweets with their thoughts and prayers to justify their continued and negligent inaction. But we forget gun violence happens every day in every community.

We cannot forget about those who died alone from gun violence in city parks, in road rage incidents, and in their own homes, entrapped by depression and despair. They, too, deserve to be remembered. Their lives and stories should also challenge us to actions so we can say ``not one more'' and then actually do something to prevent another death, another funeral, and another life forever altered.

Madam Speaker, I am proud that this House finally acted. After the American people sent a historic wave of new Members to Congress, Members who understand that commonsense gun safety reform saves lives, we voted to enact bipartisan universal background check legislation that is supported by more than 90 percent of Americans and 70 percent of NRA members.

We also voted to close the Charleston loophole, a clear gap in our laws that allowed a known white supremacist to legally purchase a weapon and use it to steal the lives of nine people seeking to better know their God.

We know this is a problem. We passed legislation to close this loophole, and yet the Senate, controlled by Republicans, have still done nothing. My good colleagues in the Senate continue to do nothing while people die every day in every State and in every community. Still they do nothing. They refuse to act. Still they offer hollow thoughts and prayers while rushing to the bank with pockets full of NRA donations.

Perhaps that is the problem, Madam Speaker. Perhaps it is the money.

The American people should know that the President got $30 million from the NRA in his 2016 campaign. What are they buying?

The American people deserve to know that the Senate majority leader has taken more than $1 million from the NRA over his career. What were they investing in?

The American people deserve to know that too many in the GOP are bought and sold by the NRA or too often afraid of them to grow a spine and stand up for their constituents.

It is a sad fact that just 8--that is right, just 8--of 198 Members, or a mere 4 percent of the House Republican Conference, had the courage to stand with gun violence victims and 90 percent of Americans. I thank those courageous eight Republicans for voting to save lives.

Madam Speaker, to my colleagues still too afraid or too owned by the NRA to act, I say good luck next year. They had their chance, and they failed miserably. They are on the wrong side of history.

Next year, the American people will not forget.

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