Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Connecticut.

I am here, like everyone else on the floor, in the wake of horrific mass shootings, from Sandy to Orlando. Americans have come together united as a family to grieve for the dead and comfort those left behind. But we haven't come together to do anything to stop the next shooting, prevent the next series of funerals, and prevent future devastation. That is why I want to thank Senators Murphy and Blumenthal, the Senators from Connecticut, and Senator Booker from New Jersey, for leading us here today to demand action.

Let's be clear. Tears are not enough and expressions of outrage are not enough. After Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora, Newtown, Charleston, San Bernardino, and so many shootings that have happened with numbing regulatory, moments of silence and expressions of sympathy are just not enough. This Senate, this Congress, needs to pass commonsense gun safety legislation--legislation supported by 9 out of 10 Americans.

It is inconceivable that Congress would fail to act in the wake of the Orlando tragedy. To do nothing would be an affront to all of those Americans who have lost loved ones to senseless gun violence.

The distinguished Senators from Connecticut and the distinguished Senator from New Jersey have been outspoken advocates of commonsense gun safety legislation. Senators Murphy and Blumenthal have wept with the families of the 20 schoolchildren massacred at Sandy Hook Elementary. In the subsequent 3\1/2\ years, working with the Sandy Hook families, they have advocated for legislation to address the menace of widely available automatic assault weapons--weapons that have only one purpose, and that purpose is to kill large numbers of people.

We are here today to demand action on commonsense measures to address gun violence. The first would be to deny guns to people on the FBI's no-fly list. Those people who are on the no-fly list because of suspected ties to extremist organizations or ideologies should not be allowed to fly and they should not be allowed to buy a gun. It doesn't get more common sense than that. If a person is considered too dangerous to board an airplane, then that person is too dangerous to purchase a military-style assault weapon. Second, ensure universal background checks for gun buyers so we can keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. At least 9 out of 10 Americans support these measures. It is a no-brainer.

Enough is enough. It is time for us to say enough is enough. We get a second chance to vote on this legislation, and this time we must come together on a bipartisan basis to pass commonsense gun safety legislation to end the violence.

As we contemplate this legislation, let's remember the photographs. We have all seen them on television and in the newspapers. These are photographs of so many wonderful young people--this time from Orlando-- who were killed by gun violence. The Orlando shooting was both a crime of terror and a crime of hate, and now it is time for us to honor those who died, honor our friends in the LGBT community who are hurting, honor our friends in the Latino community, and honor all of those Americans whom we lost to senseless gun violence.

To my friend from Connecticut, I ask, isn't the best way to honor all of those people we lost to gun violence to act now to prevent future tragedies?

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