Providing for Consideration of Conference Report on S. Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of and for Other Purposes

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of California. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation to honor the memory of Kelly Russler; Jayden, her son, and Laing, her son; victims of gun violence who never received a moment of silence on the House floor.

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Mr. THOMPSON of California. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, to honor the memory of Chris Rhoden, Jr., a victim of gun violence who never received a moment of silence on the House floor.

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Mr. THOMPSON of California. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, to honor the memory of Christopher Houston, a victim of gun violence who never received a moment of silence on the House floor.

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Mr. THOMPSON of California. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, we have been trying all day to convince the Republican leadership to bring up H.R. 1217. The reason being is that, for the last 3\1/2\ years, we have been trying to get a vote on this bipartisan, pro-Second Amendment bill. And in the course of those 3\1/ 2\ years, 34,000 people have been killed in our country by someone using a gun; 34,000. That is someone's child, someone's brother, someone's loved one, someone's wife, someone's husband, someone's partner; and it is absolutely shameful.

Now we heard yesterday on the steps of the Capitol a terrifying story from a woman whose 10-year-old daughter was murdered by someone with a gun, someone who couldn't legally buy a gun because he couldn't pass a background check. He was a felon. But he got around that law because he went online. He found the same gun that you could buy in a gun store online but without the requirement to pass a background check. He bought that gun. He shot that brave woman, and he murdered her daughter.

We can take a step today to do something about that. We can bring up the background check bill. It is bipartisan, pro-Second Amendment. It has 186 coauthors in this House. We can bring it up for a vote, and we can pass it. That will provide the first line of defense against people who shouldn't be able to buy guns from buying guns.

Who are these people? Criminals, domestic abusers, terrorists, those who are dangerously mentally ill. They should not be able to get their hands on a gun.

Now, can we stop it in every instance? No. But we know that background checks work. We know that we can make a real difference.

Every day, every day in the United States of America, 170 felons are stopped from buying guns because of the background check program. Every day in the United States of America, 50 domestic abusers are stopped from buying a gun because of the background check system. It works. We know it works.

Why won't we bring that bill up for a vote?

That woman stood on the steps of the Capitol yesterday. That was a courageous stand she took. She lost her daughter. She watched her daughter be murdered right in front of her eyes. She, herself, was shot. But she is out advocating for sensible, pro-Second Amendment, reasonable gun laws that will protect people. That is brave.

What is brave about avoiding a vote on this bill, a bipartisan bill, a bill that supports the Second Amendment, a bill that has both Democrats and Republicans as coauthors: 186 coauthors, a background check bill, perfectly constitutional, perfectly reasonable, supported by gun owners, both Democrats and Republicans, supported by 90 percent of the American people.

Ninety percent of the people that we collectively represent are asking us: Do something about this tragedy that is taking place over 30 times a day in the streets of America. Ninety percent. That is unbelievable support.

And what has the Republican leadership done? Nothing.

Thirty-four thousand deaths in the last 3\1/2\ years that we have been trying to take up this bill; 1,182 mass shootings since we have tried to take up this bill; 30 moments of silence on the floor of this House; zero, zero votes to protect the people that we represent; zero votes to do anything regarding responsible, Second Amendment gun laws that will protect the people that we represent.

Mr. Speaker, we are not asking for a lot. We are asking for a vote. We know that background checks work. Your side knows it, and our side know it.

One of the previous speakers on the underlying bill today said: It is time to put politics aside and look at the policy.

What in the world is going on with background checks? The policy is solid. They work. One hundred and seventy felons a day are stopped from getting a gun because of background checks. Fifty domestic abusers a day are stopped from getting a gun because of background checks.

It sounds like pretty solid policy to me, Mr. Speaker. It must be the politics on the other side that are getting in the way. And the American people do not want that to continue.

Ninety percent of the people who we represent are with us. They say that criminals, terrorists, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill should not be able to get guns and that the men and women who they send to the Congress of the United States of America should take responsible action to stop that from happening.

Please, give us a vote on the background check bill. Help keep our constituents safe.

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Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I have a point of parliamentary procedure.

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Mr. THOMPSON of California. I am not asking the gentleman to yield.

Mr. Speaker, I am asking you for a point of parliamentary procedure.

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