Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2024

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. FROST. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong opposition to this amendment to eliminate the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which President Biden took historic action to create.

This year, there have been more shootings than days in the year. It has been a deadly year, and that is why the American people want to see us take action, not tear down the simple efforts they are owed.

However, my colleagues aren't listening to the American people. They are listening to the gun manufacturers. They are listening to the gun lobby, the gun lobby that emailed everyone about this amendment that we are debating right now, saying they would endorse against any politician who votes with common sense. It was an email filled with pure hyperbole saying that this office was made to take guns away.

This office is not created to take guns away, it is created to save lives. The American people fear for their safety, and that should be more important than Republican politicians' fear for their careers.

How many more dreams need to be extinguished until we say enough is enough?

The swamp radicals that we are referring to are people like Greg Jackson, a survivor of gun violence who was shot not too far from this Chamber and fought for his life in the hospital. He almost died due to senseless gun violence, and he has committed his life to saving all of our lives. I am offended that someone would call him or Rob Wilcox, another survivor of gun violence, the swamp.

The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention will save lives, and voting ``no'' means trying to eliminate a FEMA-like response for communities after shootings and the coordination of gun violence prevention programs that will save lives.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. FROST. Mr. Chair, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will make this about criminal-on-criminal activity. One of the core tenets of this office is for community violence intervention, one of the only such programs in our country that go into communities, find out people who are most likely to shoot someone, and people who are most likely to be shot, create relationships, and intervene before the violence happens. This office is working to solve exactly the problem that was just iterated by the other side.

I hope if my colleagues follow their own logic that they will vote ``no'' on this amendment so we can save lives across the entire country.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source