Gun Violence is Running Rampant

Floor Speech

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Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I rise today because my district is hurting. Washington Heights-Inwood is hurting because they saw how Officer Jason Rivera was taken away from us. A 22-year old son of Inwood was taken away from us by gun violence when he responded to a family dispute.

But Harlem also is hurting because both Officers Rivera and Mora patrolled the 32nd precinct in Harlem, and they were both brutally shot and killed in the village of Harlem.

Madam Speaker, East Harlem is hurting because we saw how a young woman, Kristal Bayron-Nieves, who worked in a Burger King, was shot and killed. Even though she gave the money from the register to the person that held up the Burger King at gunpoint, she was still brutally shot and killed--19 years old.

Madam Speaker, finally, the Bronx part of my district is also hurting because an 11-month-old child, just before she turned 1, sat in the car with her mother and was shot in the face. All of this happened within two weeks of each other.

So my district is hurting as we bury these two young police officers, 22 and 27 years old, of Dominican heritage, the first in their family to serve the Police Department. So gun violence is running rampant. And we see how many talk about law and order, but when it comes to gun violence, they are still in the pocket of the NRA; and they won't dare challenge the NRA.

So I rise because my district is hurting. And we are supportive of Mayor Adams' plan of precision policing, which has identified 700 people that have been involved in 1,700 acts of violence involving an illegal weapon. We understand that much more has to be invested in ATF; so we cut off the iron pipeline that brings weapons to the corner of my district from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. But we also have to invest 50 million in summer youth jobs. We have to invest more money to have the violence interrupters be part of the resolution of this violence ripping our communities across the country.

We must all work together to resolve this epidemic of gun violence. We must pass the package of gun laws that we have here on this floor, including ghost guns, which continue to play an increased role in the death of people across the country, circumventing background checks and other restrictions that must be put in place to keep guns away from people's hands.

Madam Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to join me today for a minute of silence in the memory of Officer Rivera and Officer Mora. And in support of their two families, we join them, and we will always be by their side.

Madam Speaker, I ask for a minute of silence.

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