Gun Violence is the Leading Cause of Death for American Children

Floor Speech

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Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my neighbor and colleague and friend, Congressman Thompson, for the time and for his tireless leadership on this important topic and for his incredible understanding, from many perspectives, on this important subject.

I come to this subject as a survivor of gun violence, having lost my father to gun violence 44 years ago. As Mr. Thompson mentioned, suicide is the leading issue with gun violence, and we know the free and easy access to guns in States and communities that don't provide for evidence-based research results in almost 60 percent of those daily deaths. Sixty of the 100 a day are by people that are self-inflicted like my father.

In California, the district I represent and the district Mr. Thompson represents, the Bay Area, we can be proud that these commonsense, evidence-based gun violence and public health initiatives make you safer. According to Giffords, significantly safer. We have years of research to demonstrate this.

While we are proud of the fact that you are safer in California in our districts because of sound public evidence and constitutionally approved policy, we are frustrated that weak gun laws in other parts of the country make it more dangerous even in our communities.

Forty percent of the guns used in California come from outside of the State illegally. The ATF reports that nearly 60,000 guns are trafficked across State lines nationally each year with tragic results.

As many as 87 percent of the firearms used in crimes in Chicago, New York, and Boston were trafficked from other States, in spite of those jurisdictions' thoughtful gun violence prevention laws.

Seventy-five percent of trace guns that cross State lines come from States without background checks.

Because of this patchwork of State and local laws, States like California, with strong gun laws, see increased rates of gun homicide and gun crime when they border States with weak gun laws.

To make a real impact, action has to happen here at the Federal level. We should all commit that we will not back down from this fight because every American, no matter where they live, regardless of where they call home, deserves to live free of the fear of gun violence.

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