[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 11, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H4398]
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 
Massachusetts (Ms. Pressley) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the mothers, fathers, 
brothers, and daughters, the classmates and coworkers, the surviving 
family and community members, all of whom have been robbed of loved 
ones due to senseless acts of gun violence.
  I rise on behalf of mothers with broken spirits and broken hearts.
  I rise on behalf of fathers with deep wounds and invisible scars, a 
lifetime of guilt because they couldn't keep their child out of harm's 
way.

                              {time}  1045

  Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of young boys and girls, children 
traumatized and sad because they have attended more funerals than 
graduation parties.
  I rise on behalf of survivors, community organizations, and advocates 
who selflessly trigger their own trauma to stand on the front lines of 
justice and movement building.
  I rise on behalf of districts like mine, the Massachusetts Seventh, 
that are weighed down by systemic inequities, generational poverty, and 
cycles of violence.
  Today, in partnership with organizers, advocates, and survivors, I am 
calling for a National Survivors of Homicide Victims Awareness Month to 
amplify the voices of families and communities severely and 
disproportionately impacted by gun violence; to center their struggles, 
their stories, their truths; to foster peace; and to seek justice.
  Already this year, 16 families across the Massachusetts Seventh have 
been robbed of their loved ones. I rise in remembrance of them and in 
recognition of those they left behind:
  Emmanuel Molin, 32, survived by his two sons, mother, father, and 
five siblings;
  Godfrey Jenkins Hall, 28, survived by his son, brother, and aunt;
  Carl Reynolds, 28, survived by his mother, father, siblings, and 
daughter;
  Gary Brown, 34, survived by his son and sister;
  Jeudy Romero, 29, survived by five children, fiance, father, and 
siblings;
  Juan Morales, 32, survived by his three children;
  Kasim Kahrim, 36, survived by his sisters, aunts, and uncles;
  Kendric Price, 32, survived by his mother, grandmother, brothers, and 
godchildren;
  Haki Sanders, 33, survived by his mother;
  Eleanor Maloney, 74, survived by three daughters, a son, six 
grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and four siblings;
  Michael Dukes, 53, survived by his mother, father, five children, one 
grandson, sister, and dear friends;
  Kevin Boyd, 53, survived by his wife, two sons, grandchildren, and 
brother;
  Kevin Brewington, 33, survived by his mother, father, son, brothers, 
and sisters;
  Donell Davis, 24, survived by his mother, brothers, and sister;
  Carl Brown, 43, survived by his child; and
  Luckinson Oruma, 60, survived by his wife and five children.
  Tomorrow will mark the anniversary of 49 souls lost, lives we were 
robbed of 3 years ago at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, and the fear 
and trauma of those who survived and the families and loved ones that 
they left behind.
  May we remember them. May we speak up for them. May we fight to 
ensure that there is no one else like them.
  Long gone are the days of thoughts and prayers. Now is the time for 
outrage, equitable outrage, policy, and change. This is a public health 
crisis, an epidemic.
  Bullets do not discriminate. They don't care if we are a Member of 
Congress, a World Series champion, a senior citizen, or a child.
  It is up to Congress to demonstrate courage, to do what is right for 
our children, for our communities, for all survivors impacted by gun 
violence.
  Enough is enough. These survivors deserve our respect. They deserve 
our resources. They deserve healing. They deserve justice.
  In districts like the Massachusetts Seventh, community-based 
organizations are doing their job every day: Violence in Boston, 
Operation LIPSTICK, We Are Better Together, the Louis D. Brown Peace 
Institute, the Justice Resource Institute, the Women Survivors of 
Homicide Movement, and the Bobby Mendes Peace Legacy project.
  Our Suffolk County D.A., Rachael Rollins, is fighting every day to 
improve our clearance rates to get these surviving family members the 
justice they deserve.
  It is time for Congress to do our job. Enough is enough.

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