[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 108 (Wednesday, July 6, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H4286-H4287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              GUN VIOLENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago today, I sat down right 
there on this floor next to John Lewis. Gathered around were House 
Democrats demanding a simple demand: that we have a vote on two bills 
that would make our streets safer from gun violence.
  Last week when I went home, I stood with hundreds of people on 
Federal Plaza in Chicago demanding the very same thing. We sat down as 
we stood up for gun safety.
  Right now, hundreds of people are outside, some standing on the 
steps, 91 of them wearing orange T-shirts, representing the average of 
91 Americans killed by guns every day in the United States of America.
  I am from Chicago, and just last night, NBC News ran a story on gun 
violence in Chicago, titled, ``City Under Siege.'' Over the Fourth of 
July weekend, 50 people were shot in Chicago. Three of the victims were 
children, including two young cousins, 8 and 5 years old, who were shot 
while celebrating with their family. On one street, someone put a 
handmade sign that read, ``Don't shoot kids at play.''
  The stories of children caught in the middle of the ongoing gun 
violence epidemic are seemingly endless.
  Just last week, D'Antignay Brashear was walking down the street in 
Chicago with her 4-year-old son, Kavan, when he was shot in the face. 
Speaking about the shooting the next day, D'Antignay said: ``He was 
with me. He was holding my hand.'' She thought he was safe.
  We cannot accept the status quo when children are unsafe walking down 
the street holding their mother's hand.
  Kavan survived. But his mother said: ``How am I going to explain to 
him when he looks in the mirror and sees his face?'' I wonder, how do 
we explain to Kavan and his mother that this House refused to take 
action to prevent this from happening to him or to any other child?

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  Inaction in the face of these daily tragedies is simply not 
acceptable anymore.
  Chicago and Illinois are trying to respond to this crisis, but we 
need Federal action. Chicago has increased its police presence. Law 
enforcement takes an illegal gun off the streets of Chicago every 75 
minutes. Illinois has enacted reasonable gun violence prevention 
measures.
  There is no way for Chicago or Illinois to keep up with the influx of 
guns that are coming from across State lines. Sixty percent of the 
firearms used in Chicago gun crimes come from out of State. Most come 
from just one State: Indiana. The bloodshed in Chicago doesn't start 
with the pull of a trigger; it starts when the gun is purchased without 
necessary precautions.
  In Indiana, no license or permit is required to purchase a gun. There 
is no registration of weapons. There is no waiting period to purchase a 
gun. There are no restrictions on assault weapons. Any individual can 
take advantage of the lack of gun violence prevention laws in Indiana, 
and they do. Individuals purchase firearms at gun shows with no 
background checks at all and drive them back to Chicago, across the 
State line, where they wind up on our city streets.
  No State can address the gun violence epidemic alone. We need Federal 
action to require background checks on all gun purchases. Universal 
comprehensive background checks will keep guns out of the hands of 
criminals, domestic abusers, and the severely mentally ill. Universal 
background checks will not stop every gun death, no--no single piece of 
legislation, not all the legislation in the world--but they will 
certainly help. They will save lives.
  We simply can't stay silent any longer. Each day, eight people are 
shot in Chicago, the American people are demanding action, and it is 
time that the House listened to them.
  Speaker Ryan, call the bills. Maybe they will pass and maybe they 
won't. The American people want to see what we are doing here on the 
floor of the House to make sure that no more children holding their 
mom's hand crossing the street are shot again. Give us a vote.

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