[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 107 (Tuesday, July 5, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H4197-H4198]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Bass) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, in the month of June, 22 people were murdered 
by guns in Los Angeles. The oldest person

[[Page H4198]]

was 46, and the youngest was 3. On one day alone, June 11, eight people 
were killed. We all know the statistics: every 24 hours, 30 people are 
killed in the United States by guns. The leading cause of paralysis is 
gun violence.
  People around the Nation have demanded action from Congress. When I 
returned to my district after the protest, I was met with cheers and 
standing ovations. People said, Finally, finally they saw us act. 
Finally, they saw us fight. Fight against the NRA, which has a 
stranglehold on Congress. My constituents reflect the over 90 percent 
of the U.S. public that is demanding that we act and pass legislation 
to address the carnage from gun violence.
  I am proud to say that the State legislature in California has acted. 
Now Congress needs to act. The Governor signed five bills recently 
passed by the legislature. In California it is now against the law to 
possess ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Background 
checks are now required to purchase ammunition. The Governor signed 
bills that ban bullet buttons designed to make it easy to detach a 
magazine and reload, a creative idea from gun manufacturers to get 
around the assault weapon ban when it was in effect.
  Other bills signed by the Governor prohibit the lending of guns to 
family members who have not completed background checks, and people who 
knowingly make false reports about the loss or theft of a gun cannot 
possess firearms for 10 years. The bills were signed too late to have 
saved the 22 people who died in Los Angeles, but I have no doubt that 
these laws will help reduce death and injury from gun violence.
  I am proud California is setting an example for the Nation, and it is 
my hope after the tremendous public response and demand that we act, 
that we pass sensible legislation to bring an end to the deaths and 
injuries. It is very difficult to explain to constituents how someone 
considered too dangerous to purchase an airline ticket is not too 
dangerous to buy a gun.
  The no fly, no buy legislation authored by Republican Representative 
Peter King is a modest piece of legislation that is really a first 
step. All of us are clear, much more needs to be done: comprehensive 
background checks, closing the gun show loophole.
  My Republican colleagues argue that we don't need any new laws, we 
just need to enforce the ones we already have, but then hypocritically 
claim the President is overstepping his authority when he increases 
resources to the ATF so that they can modernize their technology to 
address Internet sales. The last time serious legislation was passed, 
the Internet didn't exist.
  The shooter who killed the nine churchgoers in South Carolina might 
have been blocked from purchasing a weapon, but his background check 
wasn't processed in time. Three days or you get your gun. Without the 
staffing and the technology, 3 days is almost impossible; and although 
he shouldn't have had a gun because of a prior arrest, he was able to 
purchase anyway.
  As a nation, at some point we have to make a decision. The decision 
is ours. As a legislative body, we have to decide who rules this place.
  Is it a handful of industries that dictate what we do?
  I can name just a few industries that cause my colleagues on the 
other side of the aisle to vote however the industry decides, not their 
constituents. If they voted with their constituents who, poll after 
poll, say 85 percent of Republicans support sensible gun control. They 
vote the way an industry dictates or they face the consequences of an 
independent expenditure campaign and an opponent.
  In memory of the following people who were killed in one day in Los 
Angeles, I mention their names:
  June 11, Jesus Alfredo Duran, 31 years old;
  June 11, Eddie Hernandez, 22 years old;
  June 11, Stephanie Gonzalez, 17 years old;
  June 11, Kimberly Gonzalez, Stephanie's sister, 13 years old;
  June 11, Johnny Mark Elizalde, 27 years old;
  June 11, Juan Zataray, 43 years old;
  June 11, Jose Rene Espinoza, 46 years old;
  June 11, Cynthia Ambriz, 19 years old.

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