[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 26, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H2220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              GUN VIOLENCE

  (Mrs. HAYES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mrs. HAYES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to voice my support for two 
bills that the House will consider this week: H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112. 
These bills are the first comprehensive gun violence prevention bills 
to be considered in the House since the Violent Crime Control and Law 
Enforcement Act was signed into law in 1994.
  Far too often innocent lives are claimed due to gun violence. Nearly 
40,000 people die of gun-related injuries per year.
  While mass shootings often dominate the headlines, we cannot continue 
to turn a blind eye to the gun violence happening on a daily basis in 
cities all over the country and even my own hometown of Waterbury, 
Connecticut. I have lived in a neighborhood where the sound of gunshots 
in the distance was as normal as hearing church bells, and, as a 
teacher and a mother, I have seen firsthand how the fear of violence 
affects our children.
  For far too long, Congress has failed our communities by remaining 
silent on this issue. America is ready for commonsense background check 
legislation. I owe it to my community, I owe it to my State, and I owe 
it to the people of Newtown, Connecticut. That is why I look forward to 
casting my vote in support of H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112.

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