[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 23, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1681-S1682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           COLORADO SHOOTINGS

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now, this morning the Nation grieves with 
the people of Boulder, CO, the site of another horrific mass shooting 
last night. A depraved gunman opened fire inside a local supermarket, 
killing 10 people, including a police officer. Many more are injured.
  Our hearts go out to the people of Boulder and the families of those 
Americans who have lost their lives so unexpectedly.
  Our thanks again go out to the brave first responders.
  People kiss someone goodbye for the morning and send somebody off to 
school and they are never seen again--never seen again. It is just 
awful. And it has been less than 8 weeks since eight people were killed 
in another series of shootings in Georgia. We cannot seem to finish 
grieving one tragedy before another takes place.
  It is a reminder that we must confront a devastating truth in the 
United States: An unrelenting epidemic of gun violence steals innocent 
lives with alarming regularity. Even amidst the pandemic, gun violence 
has not receded. In fact, confoundedly, it has grown even worse, and 
2020 was one of the deadliest years for gun violence in two decades--a 
reminder that most gun violence doesn't even make headlines but 
nonetheless causes immeasurable devastation to communities from one end 
of our country to the other.
  So we have a lot of work to do. I have already committed to bringing 
universal background checks legislation to the floor of the Senate. 
There is a hearing today in the Senate Judiciary Committee under 
Chairman Durbin's leadership to examine several commonsense proposals 
to reduce gun violence.
  Two summers ago, the Republican leader--then the majority leader--
promised there would be a debate in the Senate on gun violence, but it 
never happened. It never happened.
  This Senate will be different. The Senate is going to debate and 
address

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the epidemic of gun violence in this country.
  Today, our hearts are with the people of Colorado and with everyone 
whose lives have been touched by gun violence.

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