Gun Violence in Schools

Floor Speech

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Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask when the majority will join us to address the epidemic of gun violence in our schools in America.

A recent shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis left 2 children dead and 21 injured when a shooter opened fire during morning mass.

Since 2013, there have been more than 1,500 incidents of gunfire on America's school grounds, resulting in 485 deaths and 1,100 injuries nationally.

As a result of California's strong gun regulations, residents of that State, my home State, are 25 percent less likely to be killed in a mass shooting than people in other States. California's overall rate of gun deaths is 42 percent lower than the national average. However, 40 percent of the guns used in California come from outside of the State. We need to deal with this nationally even while States show action.

The national statistics are much more troubling. For example, the U.S. gun homicide rate is 26 times that of other high-income countries. House Republicans continue to block all legislation to address this crisis.

It is past time that we put the safety of our children before the profits of the gun lobby and finally pass laws to protect our communities and young Americans from gun violence particularly in school.

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