[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 43 (Monday, March 8, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H1083]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 LET'S NOT RESTRICT AMERICANS' FREEDOMS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, here in this Chamber, I 
have pledged to support and defend the United States Constitution in 
its entirety. The Second Amendment is a key tenet of the U.S. 
Constitution and Americans' inalienable rights.
  The right to keep and bear arms is a basic freedom that was enshrined 
in law by the Framers of our Constitution, the leaders who overcame 
tyranny to form a representative government of, by, and for the people. 
More than two centuries later, their extraordinary vision for our 
country still endures.
  In Congress, it is our job to uphold the Constitution and to protect 
Americans' fundamental rights. Yet, this week, the House will consider 
radical legislation that would encroach on citizens' freedoms while 
doing so little to prevent mass shootings or illicit violence. If 
enacted, both H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446 would impose restrictive background 
checks and unnecessarily burden law-abiding gun owners.
  Thanks to the work of the previous administration and Republicans in 
Congress, our Nation already has safeguards in place to prevent 
wrongdoers from acquiring firearms. Rather than impose new 
restrictions, we should work together to ensure that the current laws 
on the books are enforced.
  Instead of attempting to defund the police, we should equip our law 
enforcement officers with the necessary resources and training that 
they need to identify and respond to threats. Rather than make 
criminals out of law-abiding citizens, we should increase penalties for 
those who break the law. These are commonsense steps that would save 
lives and protect constitutional rights of citizens in my home State of 
Pennsylvania and across our country.
  In recent months, I have heard from hundreds of Pennsylvanians who 
are concerned by the mounting attacks on the Second Amendment. I share 
these concerns, and I will continue to oppose any attempts to restrict 
Americans' lawful gun rights. Unfortunately, the majority is set on 
restricting Americans' personal freedoms and propelling an extreme 
agenda. This playbook is not the answer.
  Right now, Congress should be focused on crushing the pandemic, 
getting Americans back to work, allowing our kids to safely return to 
the classroom. Instead of attacking Americans' constitutional rights, 
we could be making real progress on accelerating vaccine production, 
rebuilding our economy, and restoring our American way of life.
  As we consider H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446 this week, I urge all of my 
colleagues to reject this challenge to our Constitution, to uphold 
Americans' intrinsic freedoms, and return this body to good-faith 
legislating that drives results for all of the American people.

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