[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 29, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3243-H3244]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        GUN VIOLENCE RUINS LIVES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Ms. Kelly) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, ``My husband was shot in the 
stomach during a robbery attempt in front of our house. Gun violence 
ruined his life. He was left with grievous residual injuries that have 
put a huge dent in my family's finances, emotions, sense of security, 
and our well-being. My family has suffered a lot, but most especially 
my husband, who has suffered both impaired emotional and physical 
bodily function. He has so many medical issues as a result of his 
shooting. We have experienced pain and suffering like so many more 
families out there. There is horrible residual pain left behind by gun 
violence. We have become prisoners in our own home.''
  ``My younger brother took his own life with a handgun he legally 
obtained. He had a long history of mental illness, and I disagreed with 
his ability to purchase a firearm for this very reason. If there had 
been better background checks in place, he may not have been able to 
purchase the firearm. I wish that these restrictions were in place. I 
want you to know that real stakes are involved in a simple issue like 
background checks. If universal background checks were in place, my 
little brother might still be alive.''
  ``My fiance's son, James, was shot and killed in 2018 after attending 
a get-together. He was not the intended target. He was a straight-A 
student in his senior year of high school, trying to decide if he was 
on his way to college or the Navy. But he didn't get a chance to make 
his choice. There were nearly 100 witnesses, but no arrest has been 
made.''
  ``I am a trauma therapist working with young children who have been 
exposed to violence. These children are under the age of 5. Through 
play, they have demonstrated their experience with the sounds of 
gunfire. Some have even seen deceased people outside their front door. 
There is even less funding provided to address the trauma that gun 
violence produces for the most vulnerable--our children--who are living 
in the most violent areas.''
  These are just a handful of the more than 700 stories about the 
devastating impacts of gun violence that my constituents have recently 
shared with me. Each of these stories is heartbreaking, and they 
highlight both the complexity and the far-reaching consequences of the 
gun violence epidemic.
  Every single day in my district and communities across the country, 
children are traumatized by the sounds of unpredictable gunfire, the 
sight of blood on pavement, or more ambulance lights in their 
neighborhoods.
  Families are becoming financially ruined by the cost of continued 
surgeries and therapy after being shot.
  Grandparents write to tell me that their elementary school-aged 
grandchildren are scared to go and play outside for fear of being 
gunned down like their classmates and their neighbors.
  When will enough be enough?
  America's gun violence epidemic is a slow-motion massacre that is 
rapidly gaining speed. Just this weekend, 77 people were shot in 
Chicago, 77 people in just one city in just one weekend.
  We must act now to stop the steady drip of daily gun violence. Mr. 
Speaker,

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2020 was one of the deadliest gun violence years on record, and we are 
already on track to outpace those grim statistics. More than 21,000 
people are dead in just the first 6 months of this year.
  We need to step up to the plate and do something to protect our 
constituents.
  We need to make straw purchasing and gun trafficking Federal crimes. 
We need to expand background checks. We need to support more evidence-
based community violence prevention programs. We need to build 
opportunity for youth to get a good education and good jobs. We cannot 
go on letting mothers bury their children.
  This week, we mark the end of Gun Violence Awareness Month. But for 
far too many families, there is no end to this month of awareness and 
advocacy. These families are painfully aware of the impacts of gun 
violence because they carry the weight of this epidemic with them every 
single day.
  I rise to implore my colleagues to exercise some courage and 
responsibility by advancing gun violence prevention legislation.

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