[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 114 (Thursday, July 14, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H4986-H4987]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        GUN LOBBY HAS BLOCKED EFFORTS TO PASS SENSIBLE GUN LAWS

  (Mr. CICILLINE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)

[[Page H4987]]

  

  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, Maria and Fred Wright traveled to 
Washington to mark the 1-month anniversary of the murder of their son 
in Orlando. They wrote a beautiful op-ed:

       While in D.C., we don't want just thoughts or prayers from 
     Members of Congress. We want them to look us in the eyes and 
     tell us: How will they work to make our Nation safer against 
     gun violence? How will they perform their constitutional duty 
     to ``insure domestic tranquility'' and ``promote the general 
     welfare''--some of the main roles of government according to 
     our Constitution? How will they work to stand up to the 
     extremist gun lobby and urge their fellow Members to do the 
     same?

  Unfortunately, for Maria and Fred Wright, and for all of us, they 
would have to run really fast to look into the eyes of Congress as our 
colleagues fled down the stairs to run out for a 7-week vacation and to 
do nothing. Their son, Jerry, is one of 33,000 Americans who will lose 
their life to gun violence every year in this country.
  We urged our colleagues to bring to the floor something, do something 
in the face of this carnage. And we stay here as Democrats. The cameras 
can't stay in the room. The Republican side of the room is empty. They 
are gone. They are home with their family and friends. Maria and Fred 
will never get to be with their son Jerry.
  They didn't do anything to protect us from gun violence, to protect 
us from the dangers of Zika, to protect us from lead poisoning. Our 
most sacred responsibility is the health and well-being of those we 
serve. Shame on our colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Have 
they no decency to bring these bills to the floor and do their job?

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