[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 145 (Monday, October 5, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S7114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              Mass Shooting In Oregon and Gun Legislation

  Mr. President, if I might speak on another topic at this time.
  I just wanted to send my condolences to those who were impacted by 
the tragic mass shooting in Oregon. As many have said, as we pray for 
those who are fighting to survive and for the families who are 
grieving, we have to do more than pray. We have to stop this.
  I know we can't stop every single tragedy from happening, but I have 
to say, if you look at my home State, we have passed some very 
commonsense laws. We don't have a gun show loophole. That is important. 
If it is important to get a background check from a federally licensed 
dealer, it is important to get a background check at a gun show. It is 
important to get a Federal background check online.
  We have to make it harder for people who want to get guns for 
nefarious reasons--not to protect their families but sometimes to harm 
their families, harm their communities.
  I want to say that after Senator Feinstein and I went through one of 
these horrible experiences with some of our communities, we introduced 
a bill which would give parents and families of mentally disturbed 
young people a chance to go to court and intervene so that individual 
would not have this weaponry, because we knew in the last incident in 
California where a gunman came down and shot up people sitting in a 
cafe, that the mother was desperate to try and warn law enforcement 
that this was going to happen and to intervene, but there was no 
pathway for her to go.
  This bill that we call the Gun Violence Intervention Act is very 
simple. It says if a family member knows and believes someone in their 
family is mentally unstable, is buying a gun, and may well use it, give 
that family member a pathway forward to intervene in the situation.
  I don't know who could be against this because a judge will be 
objective. If somebody is doing it or if a mom is doing it just out of 
whole cloth and there is no reason, the judge will not allow it.
  I am proud to say that California has passed a nearly identical bill 
and it will go into effect in 2016. Then, in California, if you see 
someone in your family who you know is acting strange, who you know is 
making threats, who you know is buying weapons, you have the ability to 
intervene and take your story to a judge and prevent these kinds of 
tragedies. That is just one example of some of the commonsense measures 
we should be taking up.
  My heart goes out to the families, but I have to say I agree with the 
critics who say don't just come to the Senate floor and say your heart 
goes out to the families. That is not enough. So I am calling on this 
Senate to do something.
  Wednesday we are going to have a press conference that Senator 
Blumenthal has organized to talk about a very important but small 
loophole-closing he is recommending.
  At this time I yield the floor, and the remaining time I would give 
to Senator Nelson.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.
  Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, I am certainly going to help Senator 
Boxer. On the question about guns, I am an old country boy. I grew up 
on a ranch and grew up with guns, but guns should be for hunting, not 
for killing. One of the most commonsense measures is a measure that you 
ought to have background checks, such as in gun shows, where guns are 
sold to get around the background check law.