[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 5 (Thursday, January 10, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              GUN VIOLENCE

  (Ms. DEAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DEAN. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to stand as a Member of Congress 
for my first floor speech. I purposefully rise to speak about the issue 
of gun violence and, specifically, H.R. 8.
  Last year, 40,000 people in America died of gun violence, over half 
to suicide. Another 80,000 people were wounded, literally caught in the 
crossfire.
  This week, I was honored to stand with Gabby Giffords--a woman whose 
public service inspired my own--the Speaker, and Chairman Thompson to 
cosponsor H.R. 8.
  Background checks work and the public knows we must pass this 
legislation to save lives.
  As I worked with Gabby Giffords, I was reminded of the words of 
Robert Frost marking JFK's inauguration. He wrote: ``Courage is in the 
air.''
  We must act on that courage.

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