[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 162 (Monday, December 17, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 17, 2012

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn those who were 
killed in Newtown, Connecticut last Friday, and begin the urgent work 
of stopping tragedies like this from ever happening again.
  Let us be clear--there can be no better tribute to the innocent 
children and educators who were killed in Newtown than to finally 
address the out-of-control gun violence that kills tens of thousands of 
Americans every year.
  In answering the call, Congress must look to enact a comprehensive 
and commonsense reform to our nation's gun laws, and renew our 
commitment to a mental health system that has been neglected for far 
too long.
  We can begin by taking the most dangerous and deadly weapons off our 
streets. That means we must do more than simply reinstate the Assault 
Weapons Ban of 1994. We must strengthen that law by including language 
that retroactively applies to weapons already in possession, so that 
law enforcement can finally remove all assault weapons from our 
communities.
  These weapons serve no purpose other than to kill human beings. Our 
colleague, Senator Joe Manchin, today said the following: ``I just came 
with my family from deer hunting. I've never had more than three shells 
in a clip. Sometimes you don't get more than one shot anyway. It's time 
to get beyond rhetoric, it's time to sit down and move in a responsible 
way.'' He continued to say that limiting the size of a gun magazine to 
even 10 bullets should be on the table when it comes to reforming our 
laws and ending gun violence. I couldn't agree more, and believe that 
no weapon that is designed with the primary intent to kill people 
should be out on our streets.
  This also means that this Congress must look at the types of bullets 
that are sold today. The perpetrator who murdered more than 20 innocent 
children took their lives with bullets that were designed to break up 
inside a victims body and inflict the maximum amount of damage to 
internal organs, bones and tissue. There is no legal activity in our 
country that requires the use of such deadly bullets. They should be 
included under any renewal of an Assault Weapons Ban.
  In addition to removing the most deadly weapons from our streets, we 
must also close the so-called ``fire sale loophole'' and ``gun show 
loophole''--two products of a powerful gun lobby that must be brought 
to heel. Because of these loopholes, more than 40 percent of all guns 
sold in the United States are sold without the buyer undergoing a 
federal background check.
  We require anyone who wishes to drive a car to prove that they can 
safely operate a vehicle, yet when it comes to buying a gun, almost 
half all buyers do not have to prove they will safely operate such 
deadly weapons. In a country of 315 million people, there are almost 
280 million guns owned. Of those 280 million guns, almost 112 million 
of them will have been purchased without a background check. Were they 
purchased by law-abiding citizens or by troubled individuals who may 
endanger lives? Because of irresponsible legal loopholes, we simply do 
not know.
  No more. It is time that we require anyone in the United States 
wishing to purchase a gun to pass a federal background check. I am a 
co-sponsor of H.R. 263, the ``Fire Sale Loophole Closing Act'' and H.R. 
1781, the ``Fix Gun Checks Act'', and urge the Leadership of this 
Congress to bring both bills to the floor for a vote.
  Finally, our work is not complete unless we improve our nation's 
mental health system. For years, experts have known how to improve our 
mental health care system, but a lack of political will has led to its 
continual decay.
  Such failure has a very real impact on the health and well being of 
thousands of our fellow citizens everyday. Instead of accessing the 
care they need, they are often left on their own to deal with illnesses 
that they have little power to control. Place these troubled 
individuals in the vicinity of a deadly weapon, instead of the care of 
a mental health care provider, and tragedy can result.
  If we are to succeed in our efforts to prevent more gun violence 
tragedies then an improved mental health care system is part of the 
solution.
  I believe we must respond by drastically improving our community-
based mental health services--including mobile crisis services, 
assertive community treatment, peer supports and supportive housing. 
These important mental health programs are in short supply all across 
our nation, which means that thousands of our friends and neighbors who 
desperately need help are stranded with nowhere to turn.
  While no legislation can undo the terror that was done in Newtown, 
Connecticut, our nation has a moral obligation to act with the utmost 
urgency to reduce gun violence and save innocent lives. It is long past 
time to get to work, and I am ready to begin that work today.

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