Second Amendment Week

Floor Speech

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Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, this week is Second Amendment Week in our office to celebrate our God-given right to keep and bear arms.

Each year at the start of the hunting season, I can't wait to get out in the field and enjoy one of my very favorite pastimes. Hunting is an American tradition shared across generations; and this Thanksgiving weekend I was able to sneak away with my oldest son to go duck hunting near our home in Great Bend.

Mr. Speaker, I have to tell you, I have never seen so many ducks. The folks at D.U., all the conservation groups are doing an incredible job.

Many Kansans use firearms for hunting, but also, in many of our most rural parts of the State, carrying a firearm can be the difference between life and death. In over 70 counties in Kansas, the closest law enforcement officer is often 30 minutes to an hour away; and, thus, you may need a firearm to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your property.

In both rural and urban areas, many Kansans responsibly open or conceal carry on a daily basis for self-defense. Many more Kansans keep a gun for home defense as well, maybe locked away in a master bedroom or in a safe down in the basement.

Whether it be a handgun, rifle, or shotgun, whatever a citizen's firearm of choice, the right to defend ourselves must not be infringed upon. As I represent Kansas in Congress, I remain staunchly opposed to any laws restricting what kind of firearms a law-abiding citizen can buy or keep in their possession.

Any politician trying to implement mandatory buyback programs, which I really call gun confiscations, or unconstitutional red flag laws in Congress will be met with a groundswell of opposition because these types of laws violate our Second Amendment rights.

In Congress, we need to keep fighting for programs that address the underlying cause of gun violence, which is mental illness, to reach out to those who are struggling so they can get the proper care and attention early so they don't fall through the cracks and harm themselves or others.

We also need to make sure our existing background check system is working properly to continue to prevent tragedies, while not infringing on the rights of mentally stable, law-abiding citizens.

The solutions to preventing gun violence can be found at dinner tables, in our churches, and in our communities. Individually, we must practice and promote responsible gun ownership while collectively ensuring every law-abiding citizen's Second Amendment right is upheld with due process.

Gun ownership and hunting have been a tradition for my family and for this great land for many generations, each one passing on their knowledge and skills to the next. That is our way of life in Kansas. We must continue to uphold it and our constitutional right to keep and bear arms for the purpose of self-defense and individual freedom. Pass USMCA Now

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Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, today marks more than 1 year since President Trump signed the USMCA trade agreement, and it is still collecting dust on Speaker Pelosi's desk. That is an entire year that Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats have made Kansas businesses, farmers, ranchers, and workers wait.

There is no excuse for holding up this trade agreement, which is expected to create 176,000 jobs across America and deliver a $70 billion boost to our United States economy. In Kansas, it would mean thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars. This agreement will make us stronger in our next trade negotiations with China as well.

With all due respect, Speaker Pelosi, there are no more excuses. It is time. Let's deliver a win for our economy and pass USMCA now. Impeachment is All About Politics

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Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, this week, House Republicans produced our report showing specific facts that dismantle the Democrats' claims on impeachment. This evidence shows:

Number one, President Trump has a deep-seated, genuine, and reasonable skepticism of Ukraine due to its history of pervasive corruption;

Number two, the evidence does not establish that President Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Burisma Holdings, Vice President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, or Ukrainian influence in the 2016 election for the purpose of benefiting him in the 2020 election; and

Number three, the evidence does not support that President Trump covered up the substance of his telephone conversation with President Zelensky by restricting access to the call summary.

Speaker Pelosi previously said that the conditions for impeachment must be ``overwhelming'' and ``bipartisan.'' Currently, there is only bipartisan support in opposition to impeachment.

I guess the facts really don't matter, and Democrats moving forward show that this is all about politics.

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