Protecting Our Kids Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

What happened in Uvalde, Buffalo, and Tulsa is as wrong as wrong could be, and our hearts go out to those communities and those families who have been impacted in such a terrible way. The answer is not to destroy the Second Amendment, but that is exactly where the Democrats want to go.

Don't take my word for it. Just look at what they said. The President of the United States said last week that he wants to get rid of the most popular handgun in the country. Michael Moore, a Democrat--not a Member of Congress but a Democrat--said it is time to repeal the Second Amendment.

During our 10-hour markup last Thursday in the committee hearing, Representative Jackson Lee said if this bill passes, we are not finished. Representative Jones said if this bill doesn't pass, we will end the filibuster; we will expand the Supreme Court; we will do whatever it takes to get law-abiding citizens' guns.

Today, we have this hodgepodge of six bills thrown together. Many of the elements in these bills are unconstitutional. Even the Ninth Circuit has said it is unconstitutional what they want to do on the age limit. These bills would say when you can buy a firearm, what kind of firearm you can get, and where and how you have to store that firearm in your own darn home.

Of course, tomorrow, they are bringing the so-called red flag law to the floor. Someone who doesn't like you can file a complaint. Within 24 hours, there is a hearing that you are not allowed to be at--you can't confront your accuser--and they can take away your Second Amendment liberty. That is the bill they are going to pass tomorrow.

Frankly, this shouldn't surprise us. For 18 months, Democrats have assaulted the First Amendment. It shouldn't surprise us now that they are coming after the Second. Every right we enjoy as Americans under the First Amendment--your right to practice your faith, your right to assemble, your right to petition your government, freedom of the press--heck, some of them call for outlawing certain networks.

And freedom of speech, just a few weeks ago, the Biden administration tried to put together the Disinformation Governance Board. Oh, my goodness.

The attacks on the First Amendment have been sustained. They have been going on for 18 months, and now here they come, going after law- abiding citizens' Second Amendment liberties.

The Speaker started by saying this bill is about protecting our kids. That is important. Sure is. That is what she said, protecting our kids is important. Yes, it is. But this bill doesn't do it.

What this bill does is takes away Second Amendment rights, God-given rights protected by our Constitution, from law-abiding American citizens. That is what this legislation does, and that is why we should oppose it.

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gaetz).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, the previous speaker said ``nonsense.'' It is not nonsense to defend the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment protects our God-given right to protect ourselves, our family, our property, and our freedom. That is not nonsense. That is essential is what it is, and it is a critical part of the Constitution.

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).

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Mr. JORDAN.

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Massie).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs).

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Mr. JORDAN.

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Fitzgerald).
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Mr. JORDAN.

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Owens).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Tiffany).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cline).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. Greene).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford).
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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Bishop).

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, it is repeated over and over again that the Second Amendment is not unlimited, it has limits. No one contends otherwise.

What are the limits? Wouldn't it be nice to hear that in the debate?

The limits as set forth in Heller and McDonald is that it is improper, and you cannot ban weapons that are ``in common use at the time.'' You cannot require that firearms in the home be ``rendered and kept inoperable.''

The Ninth and Fourth Circuits have said that, like other constitutional rights, all of them, the Second Amendment protections apply to 18- to 20-year-olds. The dissenting judge in that opinion in the Fourth Circuit acknowledged that there is ``persuasive evidence of that.''

This bill bans for 18- to 20-year-old adults guns that are in common use. It bans for everyone ammo magazines that are in pervasive use. It requires that weapons be disabled in the home. This one doesn't violate the Constitution, I admit, but it even criminalizes a neighbor who buys a gun for self-protection for a victim of domestic violence.

The Democrats say more is coming. They use the terminology ``weapon of war.'' They intend to ban this class of weapons entirely. You have made it clear in the House Judiciary Committee.

Ms. JACKSON LEE: Madam Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I will not yield. She has had a lot of time.

Madam Speaker, you made it clear that you will proceed regardless of what the Second Amendment says. Mr. Jones made it clearer than anyone. If the filibuster obstructs us, we will abolish it. If the Supreme Court objects, we will expand it.

Do something, is the mantra. It is probably worth remembering that that is short for the commonly heard phrase, ``do something, even if it is wrong.'' The last thing we need is something that is wrong. What is needed is an answer. You are not pursuing an answer because, frankly, you are not grappling with the problem.

Could we begin with candor? Are these disasters enough to prompt candor? Could we have some truth? You have been doing gun control since 1968. Has it worked to your satisfaction? The gentlewoman from Pennsylvania said earlier: The country is sick. She has misdiagnosed the problem.

They say it is the guns. Madam Speaker, guns have been prevalent in the United States of America since before our founding. We did not suffer the mass shootings. We did not suffer the chaos in the cities like she described. Why do we have this now?

Chesterton, a British gentleman, came closest, he said: ``The disintegration of rational society started in the drift from the hearth and the family; the solution must be a drift back.'' Everybody knows it is true.

If there is a sickness in the country, it is the product of 60 years of disintegration of American culture by the liberal project: Assaults on the family; hostility to God; cheapening life; pervasive expansion of the welfare state; ridicule for individual and parental responsibility; Soros DAs ending punishment for crime; delegitimizing, defunding, and abolishing police.

Behold your handiwork. Stripping Americans of constitutional rights won't cure what ails us. Not the Second Amendment, not the First Amendment to which you are hostile, not the Fourth Amendment, not the Fifth Amendment. Join us to solve the problems you have caused. We can find answers together.

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Mr. JORDAN.

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Steube).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Massie).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gaetz).

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Representative Massie was right on target when he said red flag laws take all guns from some people and they do so without due process. This bill takes some guns from all people. But Democrats say, don't worry. We are not out to get the Second Amendment. Really?

Here is what Representative Cicilline said in committee last week: Spare me the B.S. about constitutional rights.

Here is what Representative Jones said last week in committee: If the filibuster obstructs us, we will abolish it. If the Supreme Court objects, we will expand. We will not rest until we have taken weapons out of circulation in our communities. Each and every day, we will do whatever it takes; whatever it takes.

They are out to get the Second Amendment.

The right of the American people, the right of we, the people, to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. That is what bothers them. They don't trust we, the people. They are smarter than us. They are better than us. They don't trust law-abiding American citizens. They do not trust them.

And that is what is so wrong with the direction we are going with this legislation and the legislation they are going to bring to the floor tomorrow.

We have seen they don't trust Americans to exercise their First Amendment liberties. Now they are going after their Second Amendment liberties. And that red flag law they are going to bring up tomorrow goes after the Fifth Amendment due process rights that we enjoy as American citizens. That is why we should oppose this legislation and the legislation tomorrow.

And I hope, as my friend from Florida said, I hope the United States Senate doesn't go down this red flag trail that they are now on and further take away liberties from law-abiding American people.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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