[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 108 (Wednesday, July 6, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H4283-H4284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. DeSaulnier) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, our country has witnessed over 130 mass 
shootings since the beginning of this year. There are 270 million guns 
in the United States. That amounts to 89 per 100 Americans.
  On average, 31 Americans are murdered with guns every day in this 
country, and 151 are treated in America's emergency rooms. Gun violence 
costs this country $230 billion every year, which amounts to $200 per 
person.
  Gun death rates fell 56 percent in my State of California, from 1993 
to 2010, because the legislature engaged in evidence-based research 
policy initiatives that have dropped that rate.
  Between 2004 and 2013, 316,000 Americans were killed by firearms. 
During that same timeframe, 313 Americans died from terrorist attacks, 
both internationally and domestically.
  Approximately 40 percent of all gun sales are private and are, 
therefore, exempted from the current background checks. Studies show 
that every day that background checks are used, the

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system stops more than 170 felons, 50 domestic abusers, and nearly 20 
fugitives from buying a gun in the United States.
  Since 2004, more than 2,000 suspects on the FBI's terrorist watch 
list have bought weapons in the United States. A gun in a home in the 
U.S. is 22 times more likely to be used to kill or injure in a domestic 
homicide, suicide, or unintentional shooting, instead of being used in 
self-defense.
  From 2012 to 2013, at least 100 children were killed in unintentional 
shootings in the U.S.; almost 2 each week. Guns have killed more 
Americans in 12 years than AIDS, war, and illegal drug overdoses 
combined.
  On average, 55 Americans kill themselves with firearms each day in 
this country. In States that require background checks for private 
handgun sales, there are 48 percent fewer firearm suicides, while the 
rates of suicide by other methods are nearly identical.
  Suicides involving firearms are fatal at least 85 percent of the time 
in this country compared to the second most used attempted suicide 
level, which is pills. They are only successful 3 percent of the time.
  Mr. Speaker, for those of us who have lost a family member to firearm 
gun violence, this is an issue that cannot be reconciled with the 
current majority opinion.
  Twenty-eight years ago, my father took his life with a firearm. He 
had been under the care of a physician for 10 years to deal with 
depression. We still don't know how he got his gun. He is buried across 
the river, as a World War II vet, in Arlington.
  Mr. Speaker, for those of us who respect the Second Amendment, but 
also expect the Congress to act rationally on this public health issue, 
we expect Congress to respect victims of gun violence.
  For that reason, we demand, we ask respectfully, and we expect the 
Speaker and the majority to bring up for a vote two simple bills. We 
want a vote on the no fly, no buy bill, and we want a vote to close the 
loopholes on background checks. The victims of gun violence expect no 
less.

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