[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 25 (Thursday, February 6, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       SENATE SHOULD ENACT COMMONSENSE SOLUTIONS TO GUN VIOLENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Neguse) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, I have the honor of representing the great 
State of Colorado. Unfortunately, Colorado is no stranger to gun 
violence.
  I was 14 years old when my high school was put on lockdown. Soon 
after, my classmates and I learned that, just a couple of miles down 
the road, a terrible tragedy was unfolding at Columbine High School, a 
terrible tragedy in which 13 people were shot and killed.
  One of those 13 victims was a 14-year-old boy named Daniel Mauser. 
This week, I brought Daniel's father, Tom Mauser, to the State of the 
Union to highlight the urgent need for action on the gun violence 
epidemic. He sat here in the gallery just a few days ago as the 
President delivered his State of the Union and heard that the President 
failed to mention any effort to engage in gun violence prevention and 
to deal with the public health crisis that we face.
  For 20 years, Tom has bravely converted his pain and his anguish into 
action, pushing for gun violence prevention. Yet 20 years later, he 
and, frankly, the entire State of Colorado are still waiting on 
Congress to address the most basic and commonsense solutions to gun 
violence.

  Mr. Speaker, today, I rise for Tom. I rise for his son.
  I rise for the so many victims that we have lost to gun violence 
across Colorado and across our country. I rise today for the more than 
100,000 Americans who every year survive a gunshot wound and now face 
the lifelong physical and emotional toll surviving gun violence takes 
on an individual.
  I rise today to give voice to the millions of Americans across this 
great country who are tired of the Senate's leadership being held 
hostage by the special interest gun lobby.
  I rise today because all Americans have a right to make their 
communities safe from the onslaught of gun violence that this country 
witnesses day after day. They have a right to demand the dangerous 
loopholes like the Charleston loophole are closed. They have a right to 
demand an end to the unbelievable number of military-style firearms 
flowing through their streets.
  And demanded they have, Mr. Speaker. Indeed, a majority of Americans 
support creating a red flag law, by way of example, allowing police or 
family members to request a judge to temporarily remove guns from 
individuals who may be dangerous. A majority of Americans think that it 
is absolutely ridiculous that we do not require universal background 
checks for gun purchases at gun shows or other private sales. And a 
majority of Americans think that it is beyond comprehensible that 
Members of Congress would stand in the way of working to ensure that 
individuals do not have access to weapons of mass murder.
  Let us be clear, Mr. Speaker. Let us be clear. The gun violence 
epidemic that has gripped this country is neither a Democratic nor 
Republican issue, but, rather, one of national importance, the 
solutions to which must not face further delay.
  We have grieved together; we have demanded change together; and we 
have been shocked by the paralysis that has gripped this institution 
when it comes to tackling our country's gun violence epidemic.
  Mr. Speaker, I will close simply by saying the time has well since 
passed when we should have enacted these commonsense reforms. We should 
have done it 20 years ago. There is bipartisan legislation in the 
Senate right now that will address these pressing issues, and it is 
time for the Senate majority leader to bring that legislation to the 
Senate floor for a vote. Coloradans and Americans have waited long 
enough.

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