National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, and it would not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, less than 1 week ago, 10 people were shot and killed in their school in Santa Fe, Texas. As usual, Members sent thoughts and prayers. They said that things have got to change, and then they did nothing.

We held our 47th moment of silence since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School 5\1/2\ years ago. For every Member who looks into the face of yet another grieving family and says, ``I am with you,'' and then does nothing, I have a message for you: You are complicit. You are allowing criminals and the dangerously mentally ill easy access to guns. Your inaction is leading to gravestone after gravestone.

We have not had one vote on legislation to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them. If we are not allowed a vote, there is blood on the hands of Congress.

Since Sandy Hook, more kids have been killed by someone using a gun than all of our troops killed in combat since 9/11.

Let that sink in.

Seven thousand young kids are dead, in part, because of our inaction. I don't know about you, but that number keeps me up at night.

These are children who are robbed of a lifetime of experiences and robbed of their future. Instead of going to their graduation, their parents go and visit their grave.

This amendment is straightforward, and, if adopted, it will not kill the bill. It does two things:

First, it provides grants to States to get more records into the background check system. I think we can all agree, for the system to work, it has to have the most up-to-date records.

Second, it would expand background checks to all commercial sale of firearms. So if you walk into a gun show and try to buy a gun, you have to undergo a background check. If you go online and try to buy a gun, you have to undergo a background check.

This isn't some radical idea. 208 Members of this Congress, Democrats and Republicans, are cosponsors. Even 94 percent of gun owners support expanding background checks, and we can't get 94 percent of the people to agree that the sky is blue. This kind of consensus should unify us. It should empower us on this floor to do what is right.

We know that background checks work. Every day, background checks stop more than 175 felons, some 50 domestic abusers, and nearly 20 fugitives from buying a gun. But in some States, these same folks can walk into a gun show and buy the same gun without a background check. This motion would change that.

Yesterday, the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force heard from young leaders who are begging Congress to pass laws to help prevent gun violence. One of the hardest things for me to hear was one student saying that he was not actually surprised that there was a shooting at his school. Kids now have an expectation that one day it will happen to them. This is shameful, and it is the future that we are leaving for our children and our grandchildren.

I know what the chairman is going to say. He is going to say the NDAA is no place for this amendment.

First, this isn't an extraneous provision. The NDAA has language directly addressing guns and gun ownership. Without that language in the bill, we wouldn't be able to offer this amendment today.

Second, the NDAA has long been a place for extraneous provisions. In this bill alone, the majority has weakened environmental oversight and permitted drilling, has addressed medical fees in national parks, and has addressed yacht safety, just to name a few extraneous provisions.

So I ask you to join me: No more complicity. No more blood on the hands of Congress. No more moments of silence.

It is time for moments of action. Vote ``yes'' on this motion. It will not kill the bill, but it will save lives.

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