[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 25, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               COMMON-SENSE GUN LEGISLATION IS NEEDED NOW

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                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 24, 2007

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to extend my condolences 
to the families of the 32 Virginia Tech students and teachers who lost 
their lives due to senseless gun violence on April 16, 2007. I would 
also like the families of Columbine High School tragedy--which occurred 
8 years ago on April 20th--to know that my thoughts and prayers are 
with them as well. As those two tragedies demonstrate, we are not doing 
enough to protect our schools, workplaces, homes, and communities from 
gun violence. In honor of all the victims of gun violence, I call on my 
colleagues to pass tougher gun laws, including requiring more stringent 
background checks and banning the use of assault weapons and high-
ammunition clips.
  It is a well-known fact that it takes very little time and is very 
easy and for individuals to buy powerful weapons in this country. In 
fact, depending on the state, it takes anywhere from just 2 hours to a 
mere 2 minutes to conduct a background check. Since it took the 
assailant in the Virginia Tech case only 10 minutes to get approval to 
buy a gun, it is no wonder that the store from which he made his 
purchase missed the fact that a court had ordered him to undergo 
outpatient treatment. Federal law states that anyone who has been 
adjudicated for being a ``mental defective'', as the assailant had, 
cannot purchase weapons. Had there not been an expedited process for 
buying a gun, and the background check relying on the self-reporting of 
mental illness, perhaps this tragedy could have been prevented. I 
support the efforts of my colleagues, Representatives McCarthy and 
Dingell, to provide federal funding to states for computers systems 
that will allow them to promptly upload information about potential gun 
buyers from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. As 
we have tragically learned, we can no longer wait for all states to get 
online.
  Additionally, we need to renew the bans on assault weapons and high-
capacity ammunition clips. We have allowed this ban to expire, every 
day more police officers and innocent families are in sight of 
criminals wielding Uzis, Tec-9s, AK-47s. And, high-capacity ammunition 
clips--which have no purpose other than to kill people--allowed the 
gunman at Virginia Tech to kill 32 students and teachers. Because of 
the high-capacity ammunition clips, even those who survived were left 
with multiple bullet wounds.
  Every day that we allow to pass without a ban on assault weapons and 
high-capacity ammunition clips is another day that Americans are 
needlessly put at risk. We need to support and pass Representative 
McCarthy's, H.R. 1022, the Assault Weapons Ban, which would renew that 
ban.
  I am proud to represent the 9th Congressional District, a district 
that is strongly in favor of getting guns off our streets. Chicago, 
Wilmette, Morton Grove and Evanston have laws outlawing handguns, and I 
think this is a great start. We need to bring that commitment to our 
children's safety, to the safety of our neighborhoods, and to the 
safety of our schools, to the rest of our country.

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