[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 25, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H5087]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  MAKE COMMUNITIES HEALTHIER AND SAFER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Wisconsin (Ms. Moore) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about making our 
communities healthier and safer for all Americans.
  Let me start out by urging my colleagues to join me and my colleague, 
Jim Sensenbrenner, in supporting the Functional Gastrointestinal and 
Motility Disorder Research Enhancement Act, legislation that we are 
introducing today.
  There are millions of Americans who suffer from gastrointestinal and 
motility disorders. These are very common gastrointestinal disorders in 
the general population, but they affect tens of millions of Americans.
  Symptoms of these disorders include pain in the inner organs, lack of 
motility, altered immune function, and altered central nervous system 
function. Although these symptoms can be life-threatening, effective 
therapies exist. Treatment, generally, focuses on management of the 
symptoms.
  For nearly 30 years, patient advocacy organizations, like the 
International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in 
my district, have been working to support affected individuals and 
their families.

  Mr. Speaker, we are asking all of our colleagues to join us in 
cosponsoring this important legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, while I am here addressing healthier and safer 
communities, I would be remiss if I did not mention the need to 
aggressively attack a crisis, a health crisis, a public safety crisis 
that is affecting all of our communities, and that is gun violence.
  Mr. Speaker, it is often said that it takes a village to raise a 
child, but it takes a village to protect children, too.
  That is why I am so inspired by my own hometown of Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin, to see what our community is doing collectively to address 
gun violence. That is why I am inspired to see that Milwaukee hospitals 
are working to combat accidental shootings by offering free gunlocks as 
a tool to protect children from guns in homes. The city is also working 
to put violence interrupters in our community to teach people how to 
deescalate violence.
  Communities like Milwaukee have always stepped up when Congress falls 
short, but now, Mr. Speaker, it is time for Congress to act to pass 
commonsense gun violence prevention measures that have widespread 
support.
  It has been over 100 days, Mr. Speaker, since the House has passed 
H.R. 8, strengthening background checks; H.R. 1585, the VAWA 
reauthorization that includes new provisions to prevent abusers from 
accessing guns; and H.R. 1112, closing the Charleston loophole that 
allows individuals to get a gun if their background checks haven't been 
completed within 3 days, all legislation that would prevent the gun 
violence that is hurting all our communities. Yet, the Senate has 
failed to act, as key Senators have opposed taking any action.
  That is irresponsible.

                              {time}  1115

  We are not the only country that experiences gun violence, but it 
seems that we are the only ones not to do anything about it except to 
offer thoughts and prayers and moments of silence.
  Well, I will tell you, no more silence over gun violence, from Sandy 
Hook where 26 were killed to the Pulse nightclub shooting where 49 were 
killed, to the third anniversary of the Oak Creek Sikh temple shooting 
where 6 were killed, to Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida where 
17 were killed, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where, last fall, a 13-year-
old girl was killed by a stray bullet. Bullets don't have eyes. This 
spring, an 11-year-old was wounded by a stray bullet.
  Enough is enough. Mr. Speaker, it is time for the Senate to take up 
H.R. 8 and to promote health and safety in our communities.

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