Active Shooter Alert Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Ms. DEAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding time.

Like many of you, I am struggling as we see day after day, night after night, more lives lost to gun violence in America.

On Sunday, a 15-year-old boy was killed and three other people shot in a mass shooting 15 minutes from where we stand right now.

On Monday, just after midnight, a 21-year-old college student was killed in a hail of gunfire that also wounded eight others in Harlem.

Last week, in the Judiciary Committee, I talked about the three young men who were killed and 11 wounded in the single biggest shooting in Philadelphia in 7 years. Are we safe anywhere in this country anymore?

Many of us are determined to fight for radical change to combat a dangerous obsession with guns and gun violence.

In the Judiciary Committee, we voted for extreme risk protection orders. Republicans in that committee voted ``no.'' We voted to raise the age for purchase of semiautomatics to 21. Republicans said ``no.'' We voted to safely store guns. Republicans said ``no.'' We voted to get rid of ghost guns. Republicans said ``no.'' We voted for background checks. Republicans said ``no.''

Now, today, we are trying to pass text alerts--alerts--for active shooters. I am thankful that this small measure has some bipartisan support.

Yet, some Republicans in Congress support guns so much that they will find a way to say ``no'' and hide behind the Second Amendment.

I am struggling, but determined, inspired by the overwhelming number of Americans who are demanding action: Republicans, Democrats, gun owners, non-gun owners, independents. Demand action, not excuses.

This is a sad, yet important step. I thank the chairman for bringing it forward. I urge my colleagues across the aisle to wake up. Our children's lives are at stake every day.

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