Recognizing Gun Violence Awareness Month

Floor Speech

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Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, first, I thank my friends and Gun Violence Prevention Task Force leaders, Congresswoman Lucy McBath and Congressman Mike Thompson, for convening us this evening. They both have been unwavering in their dedication to ending the scourge of gun violence in this country.

I want to take a moment in particular to salute and applaud my friend Representative McBath, who, as you heard, Mr. Speaker, has shown a remarkable amount of courage, bravery, and tenacity in converting her anguish, unspeakable, unthinkable anguish, into action to save lives. We couldn't be more proud of her and the work that she has done since she first graced the Halls of this august body and made ending gun violence a priority of not just hers but of this House.

Mr. Speaker, in a country where gun violence is the leading cause of death among children--I will repeat that just to let it sink in, gun violence is the leading cause of death among children in the United States--it comes as no surprise that, today, the Surgeon General declared that gun violence in America now constitutes a public health crisis.

My district, Mr. Speaker, has been acutely impacted by that crisis, by the pain of the gun violence epidemic.

A gunman, 3 years ago, walked into a local grocery store in my community in Boulder, Colorado. He killed, murdered in cold blood, ten of our beloved community members, including a police officer, who made the ultimate sacrifice, saved lives, died in the line of duty. This tragedy and the shock waves that it has spurred across my State serve as a reminder of why we as a Congress cannot abandon our mission to end this epidemic.

My community, Mr. Speaker, is not alone. From Uvalde to Buffalo, from Parkland to Sandy Hook, to every corner of our country, there are communities just like ours with families devastated by the pain and anguish caused by gun violence and Members, as you have heard, of this very Chamber who have experienced devastating loss as a result of this epidemic. It is with those we have lost in our hearts and at the forefront of our minds that we remain committed to ensuring that we turn such anguish into action.

As mentioned, Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago today, many of us joined President Biden at the White House. I remember going to the White House with my colleague Representative McBath, to celebrate the enactment of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Representative McBath, Representative Robin Kelly, Representative Steven Horsford, so many of the leaders from whom will be heard from tonight, along with Representative Haley Stevens and others, have worked vociferously to get across the finish line. This bill is the most significant and consequential gun violence prevention legislation that we have seen in decades.

Through this bill, we were able to enact improved and enhanced background checks, protect domestic violence survivors, expand community violence intervention programs, and support improved mental health services across the country. Mr. Speaker, we know that legislating works.

I am here today with leaders, like Representative Kennedy of Buffalo, Representative Manning from North Carolina, Representative Stevens, and Representative McBath, and so many others to repeat the call that House Democrats have made time and time again, to say that we are ready to work in good faith with anyone to address what is clearly a pervasive problem across our country, to advance commonsense reforms that we know will save lives. It is time for our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, House Republicans, to do the same, to work with us because inaction is no longer an option.

Again, I thank Representative McBath, Representative Thompson, and the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force for their work in addressing our most basic charge as Members of this body, which is to keep Americans safe.

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