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Congressional Black Caucus

Floor Speech

Date: July 28, 2014
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Guns

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Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you, Congressman Jeffries, and I want to thank Congressman Horsford and the Congressional Black Caucus for this very, very important special hour.

It is absolutely ridiculous what Speaker Boehner and his party want to do. It is a waste of time, as many of us have said, a waste of time, a waste of taxpayers' money, and it looks like nothing but a sideshow.

There are so many things we should be working on, things like immigration reform, pay equality, helping to stop the gun violence in our urban areas, and unemployment insurance that people so desperately need.

Again, Speaker Boehner has shown that he does not pay attention to what the public wants and cares about. Ninety percent of the public thinks we should expand background checks.

Seventy-four percent of NRA members think we should expand background checks, but he is not bringing that bill to the floor, but he is going to bring this bill to the floor when there is not even the public appetite for a lawsuit.

Many Americans, quite frankly, don't feel the President has abused his power. Because we don't listen and we do things like this, it is no wonder only 8 percent of the public thinks that Congress is doing a good job.

From day one, there has been a great disrespect for this President like no other in history. Some of my colleagues are shocked that he won the first time and can't seem to get over that he won again the second time. Well, we need to get over it, and you need to get over it because there are so many issues we can be working on. We should be trying to improve the quality of life of our constituents, our country, and, frankly, of the world.

As a freshman, this is not what I came to Congress to vote on. I came to Congress, like I assume most of us did, to make a difference, to have a public agenda and not a personal agenda and not an attacking agenda, and an agenda where, even though we disagree, we still show respect for each other.

So I again applaud you, Congressman, for holding this Special Order. This is extremely important. I hope the public is truly paying attention because this is shameful and, as I said in the beginning, ridiculous.

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