[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 18 (Tuesday, February 14, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         GUNS IN THE WORKPLACE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, in the last year the gun lobby has 
continued to defy common sense by pursuing a radical agenda in Congress 
and in State legislatures. Last year Congress passed legislation to 
give the gun industry unprecedented immunity from litigation and other 
legal action.
  Thanks to this new law, dishonest and corrupt gun dealers will be 
held accountable for their negligence. Almost 2 years ago, Congress let 
the ban on assault weapons expire, and this year's budget cuts bullet-
proof vest grants for police departments. Congress is allowing 
criminals to better arm themselves, and now the budget is taking away 
protection from our police officers.
  But sadly, the gun lobby isn't done defying common sense with 
legislation. The NRA is currently lobbying for States to prohibit 
employers from banning guns on their private property. It does not 
matter if someone works in a school, day care center, bar, or even a 
facility that produces hazardous materials. The NRA wants to let them 
come to work with a loaded gun in their car.
  In fact, the NRA is suing companies who ban guns in the workplace. 
Let us set the record straight here. I have no problem for a legal 
citizen to be able to purchase a gun. But allowing loaded guns in day 
care centers, parking lots, that does not make sense. Right outside of 
chemical plants, again, makes no sense. This is a recipe for disaster.
  The NRA and its allies say that workers bringing guns to work and 
leaving them in their parked cars makes for a safer workplace, but they 
never explain how. Last month, an ex-employee of a post office in 
California opened fire at a mail processing plant, unfortunately 
killing six people.
  Having loaded guns in cars outside the facility has not saved one 
life. In fact, I cannot think of a single workplace shooting that could 
have been prevented by loaded guns being kept in company parking lots. 
But I can think of numerous scenarios that would make a shooting more 
likely with guns on the premises.
  What happens when a criminal learns that parked cars, often left 
unattended, contain loaded weapons? What is stopping them from breaking 
into cars and using those guns for crimes? Criminals break into parked 
cars to steal stereo speakers. They would not hesitate to take a loaded 
gun. What if an employee brings his or her gun into their place of 
work. A gun could be misfired or end up in the hands of someone else.
  Worse yet, somebody who isn't legally allowed to own a firearm could 
gain access to a co-worker's gun. Studies show that guns are already 
the third greatest workplace safety hazard, behind vehicles and heavy 
machinery.
  In fact, 17 people are killed by guns on the job each week. A study 
done by the University of North Carolina revealed that killings are 
five times more likely to occur at job sites where guns are allowed in 
workplaces than where they are prohibited. The NRA has targeted State 
legislatures for this ridiculous campaign.
  The Florida legislature is considering making it a felony for 
employers to ban workers from having guns on the company property. 
Similar laws have passed in Alaska, Minnesota, and Oklahoma. I fear it 
is only a matter of time before they bring their cause before Congress.
  Fortunately, the business community has rallied against the NRA on 
this matter, and for good reason. Businesses know that if they fire 
someone, who is to say that person is not going to go out into the car 
and get their gun and come in and try to do the mayhem against an 
employer. Are they going to have a safe room for someone that has been 
fired to go there? The liability costs are going to also be involved in 
private companies.
  Also, layoffs and firings are a tough reality in today's economy. How 
will companies handle giving employees bad news when they may have 
loaded guns in their cars? Seems to me the latest initiative of the NRA 
creates a lot more problems than it solves.
  Mr. Speaker, instead of being a rubber stamp for the NRA in 2006, let 
us focus on laws that keep guns out of the hands of criminals and 
terrorists. It is time for common sense, not misguided extremism.

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