Providing for Consideration of H.R. 2130, Red River Private Property Protection Act, and Providing for Consideration of Motions to Suspend the Rules

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty) for raising an important issue, for forcing us to talk about something that the Republican leadership is working overtime to prevent us from having a vote on.

Only in this Republican-controlled House of Representatives would the idea of prohibiting terror suspects from getting weapons be considered controversial. It is stunning.

Let me say to the Republican leadership, who are, again, preventing us from being able to deliberate on this issue, you take my breath away. I cannot believe that you will not allow us to have a vote on the floor on this important issue. You are on the wrong side of history. You are certainly on the wrong side of public opinion.

The vast majority of Americans--Democrats, Republicans, Independents--all think we ought to close this loophole, everybody but the leadership of this House, which is beholden to one special interest.

Terror suspects can't fly on airplanes. I fly back and forth from Boston to Washington every week. I am glad that terror suspects can't fly on airplanes. I feel more safe. The people I fly with feel more safe.

Why would it be somehow acceptable, then, to allow those same people who cannot fly to be able to go out and buy weapons, highly sophisticated weapons, weapons that are used by terrorists to kill civilians? Why would that be acceptable?

We ought to have a vote on this. Let us vote. Let us deliberate on this important issue.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself my remaining time.

I am sorry that the previous speaker doesn't see the importance of this issue and thinks that this is theater. I assure you that the vast majority of Americans--Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike--think this is a very serious issue.

Right now, according to the ATF, the people who cannot own a gun in this country are criminals, unlawful users of controlled substances, people who are mentally ill, people who have renounced their citizenship, and people who have been convicted of domestic violence.

Our laws are clear on that. These people can't go out and buy guns. Yet, when it comes to people who are suspected of terrorism, for some reason, we can't apply the law to them. For some reason, there is a reluctance by some on the other side of the aisle--not all, but some--to do something about this.

This is fairly easy. Congressman King, a Republican from New York, has a bill that I think is fairly straightforward. It basically says that people who are suspected of being terrorists, who right now can't fly on airplanes, should not be able to go out and purchase a gun, should not be able to purchase a weapon of war.

That concept is controversial in this House of Representatives. It is hard to fathom. People can't quite understand what the problem is.

Now, maybe my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are going to introduce bills to allow us to be able to sell weapons to people who are convicted of domestic violence or to people who are felons or to people who have renounced their citizenship. Maybe that is going to mysteriously come to the House floor. Maybe that is what the plan is, but I hope not.

I don't hear them saying that. I don't hear people on the other side of the aisle saying we should do away with the no-fly list and allow suspected terrorists to be able to fly on airplanes with the American people. I don't hear people asking to do that. So what is the problem?

We are making a big deal of this. I am sorry the gentleman from Nevada doesn't appreciate the importance of this issue, but we are making a big deal of this because it is a big deal. We need to do a lot of different things to protect the American people, and this is one of them. No one is up here saying this will solve all of our problems, but we are saying this is an important piece that we ought to get done.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to defeat the previous question. Allow us to have the opportunity to bring this up because we have tried every which way--we even have a discharge petition going to try to force a vote on this issue--and all we have encountered is resistance, resistance, resistance. Give us the opportunity to deliberate. Let the people's House do the people's business.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source