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




                              GUN VIOLENCE

  (Mr. WELCH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, we have common ground on the Republican and 
Democratic side of the aisle. There is a problem of gun violence. 
Innocent people--children in Newtown, workers in San Bernardino, 
worshippers in Charleston, and five very brave police officers in 
Dallas protecting the right of citizens to protest--all have been 
killed.
  We have got to do something. We know that. We have a disagreement 
about what. But should we have a disagreement that we not even debate 
what is the right response as a policy to protect innocent lives from 
future gun violence? That is the question.
  We can debate the Second Amendment. We can protect gun owner rights. 
But we can't hide from the responsibility that we chose to accept when 
we ran for office and asked people to entrust us with their vote in 
this Congress, that we won't even discuss, we won't debate, we won't 
have a committee hearing, we won't have a bill on the floor. That is 
what is really unacceptable.
  Do you know what? We have a disagreement. Put some bills on the 
floor. We vote. Our voters then get to hold us accountable one way or 
the other.

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