[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 74 (Thursday, May 20, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H3443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   GUNS AND CHILDREN--THEY DO NOT MIX

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I thought it was important 
to come to the floor of the House to address again the crisis that we 
are facing in this Nation, and that crisis is that of the safety of our 
children.
  Today unfortunately as the sun rose another youngster took weapons to 
school and shot children. I am most grateful, as most mothers and 
fathers, families, that this tragedy did not result in death. I cannot 
imagine what people in Littleton, Colorado, are thinking, or Jonesboro, 
or the State of Pennsylvania, or my own State of Texas, and rather than 
be political and politicize this, I am simply begging with all of the 
intellect in this Congress that we have the courage to admit that there 
are many concerns.

                              {time}  1645

  There is the entertainment industry, violence in videos. There is the 
issue of intergenerational conflict or disconnect because maybe adults 
and children are not talking the way they should.
  There is the concern that I have raised and will be presenting in 
legislation, Give a Child a Chance Omnibus Mental Health Services bill 
for 1999 where we can focus on the fact that children need mental 
health services, both children who can afford it and those who cannot.
  I think right now, in light of the Senate's actions today, we realize 
that gun legislation is not political. Over 89 percent of the American 
public are waking up and saying we must have safety locks. It is 
important to keep from children, or young people under 21, guns. We 
must close the loopholes in pawn shops and in gun shows so that there 
are no more opportunities for people to randomly walk in and get guns, 
as a young lady did on behalf of Eric Harris in Littleton, Colorado.
  Parents are in pain. Children are in fear. Our children can talk 
about guns and their feeling of being unsafe. They can talk about the 
fact that they do not know whether their graduation will be safe or 
whether large gatherings will be safe.
  Many of us as women Members of Congress have gathered. We gathered 
before Mother's Day and asked Speaker Hastert to ensure that we pass 
gun legislation before Father's Day. I want to go a step further. We 
have next week. We should not leave here until we say not only to the 
American people but the world that we pride ourselves, as loving our 
children greater than our guns, and in fact this is not taking away 
guns from people who use them for sports and legally. This is saying 
that we have a proliferation of guns and our children are asking or 
crying out for us to be restrained and to restrain them; 250 million 
Americans, 260 million guns on the street.
  Why cannot we find common ground on legislation that I passed in my 
city holding parents responsible, adults, for allowing guns to be in 
children's hands and thereby causing an injury? It was unanimously 
supported and then passed in the State of Texas, certainly a State that 
has its share of guns.
  Safety locks, as has been said eloquently by my colleagues, there are 
regulations of diaper bags and regulations of parks and schools and 
equipment that children use. Why not guns? Why can we not keep guns out 
of the hands of those under 21? Why can we not do instant check at gun 
shows where all kinds of people come and, believe me, they use that 
method to get guns. Why can we not have tracing so that felons who are 
now dealing with the black market can be found? Why can we not have an 
amendment that deals with gun running?
  It is very important, Madam Speaker, that the women in this House 
stand up. I demand that we collectively raise our voices to the 
Speaker, and I guess I demand of him, to not shy away from the 
responsibility.
  Put the NRA aside. It has its own agenda, and anyone who says it does 
not is not reading all of their PR, their public relations. I did not 
come here to point the finger. I have mentioned the entertainment 
industry. They know what they can do.
  This is a pyramid. We are building blocks. I have mentioned the need 
for more mental health services from K to 12, intervention risk 
assessment in every piece of legislation, that I can. In addition to 
the omnibus bill, I am going to be raising my voice for mental health 
services. It is too long and too late where it is a stigma, so that is 
why children have stopped taking their medication because there is a 
stigma all around. So if the parent does not tell them they certainly 
do not get reinforced in school, and troubled children are in our 
schools without medication.
  So, Madam Speaker, I am not pointing the finger. I am speaking out of 
anguish and I am speaking out of pain. I cannot go another day without 
us doing something about these guns. We must pass legislation this week 
as we come back.
  While I am home in the district this weekend, whoever will hear me, I 
will be talking about are we going to stand up for our children? 
Tomorrow at a press conference on Head Start I will be talking about 
our children and guns.
  Madam Speaker, I hope that we can collectively indicate to the 
American people we have heard them. This is a crisis and we know their 
pain.
  The Federal Government does not want to take over education of their 
children. We just want to take over the fact that we want our children 
to survive and we are going to help them with legislation and money.
  Madam Speaker, I hope that we will all stand together next week as we 
return to this Congress.

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