Gun Violence
Floor Speech
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Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago on this floor, the Democrats said: We want a vote. We want a vote on a bill that would prohibit terrorists who are on the no-fly list from being able to buy a gun and explosives, and we want a vote on comprehensive background checks. So we sat down and created a bit of confusion and maybe even some anger.
I am pleased that the Speaker has decided that maybe there will be some piece of legislation, a piece of legislation, H.R. 5611. Unfortunately, it doesn't even come close to solving the problem and probably makes it worse. It is written in such a way that it is virtually unenforceable, will guarantee that terrorists will be given a heads-up that they are being looked at and investigated by the FBI, and it puts the courts in an impossible situation where they have to find probable cause that there is a terrorist out there who has done something bad or is likely to do something bad, in which case just go arrest them. You don't need to do more than that. You already have probable cause. Arrest them.
The bill is a nonstarter, so we are not going to go away. We are going to stay at this until we have decent legislation.
There are two pieces: a bill by Mr. King of New York, a Republican, and the same, coauthored by Mr. Thompson of California, that would expand the background checks, which is absolutely essential; and also one that provides for no fly, no buy.
We would like to have a vote on the bills. Put them on the floor, Mr. Speaker. You can do this. Put your bill on the floor, put our two bills on the floor, and let us, the 435 Representatives, speak to this issue.
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Mr. GARAMENDI. I thank the minority leader. I am delighted to have the gentlewoman's leadership on this issue. It is profoundly important.
I understand tomorrow, at 10 o'clock, 91 people will be outside, together with many members of our caucus, to demonstrate that each day 91 people are killed by guns here in the United States.
So we have work to do. It is very simple. All we are asking for is a vote on a no fly, no buy bill that actually works--not the Cornyn bill, not the Republican bill, but one that actually works, put together by Mr. King of New York and Mr. Thompson of California--and also a bill that deals with expanding the background check. Put them on the floor, Mr. Speaker.
And one more, I promise, Mr. Speaker, we are not going to go away until the American public has the safe gun measures written into law.
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