[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 25, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H3940-H3944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IMPACT OF GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the honorable 
gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick).


                             General Leave

  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this 
Special Order hour.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that I 
rise today to coanchor the CBC Special Order hour, along with my 
distinguished colleague, Representative Jackson.
  For the next 60 minutes, members of the CBC have an opportunity to 
speak directly to the American people on gun violence prevention and 
public safety, an issue of great importance to the Congressional Black 
Caucus, Congress, constituents, and all Americans.

  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Nevada (Mr. Horsford).
  Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-
McCormick for her tremendous leadership and also Congressman Jonathan 
Jackson. The two have been great co-chairs for our Special Order hour, 
a time when the Congressional Black Caucus comes to the floor to 
discuss important issues affecting all of America.
  Today, my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus are here to 
recognize the impact that gun violence has on Black communities and 
communities all around our country.
  In recent years, our Nation has bore witness to horrific acts of gun 
violence in our communities, from the racist murder of nine 
parishioners at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South 
Carolina, to the attack at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, to 
police-involved shootings of unarmed Black men, women, and children.
  Time and again, when these tragic events happen, we hear politicians 
in Washington offer their thoughts and prayers, but we know that 
thoughts and prayers are simply not enough. They are not enough to end 
the violence that traumatizes entire communities and rips family 
members and friends away from their loved ones. They are not enough to 
end the cycles of violence created by the systemic and structural 
disadvantages of generations of racism and disinvestment in our 
communities. We must do more than offer thoughts and prayers alone.
  In order to solve this crisis, we must first understand the problem 
before us. Data shows that Black Americans are disproportionately 
impacted by gun violence in our country. Specifically, Black Americans 
experience 12 times the gun homicides, 18 times the gun assault 
injuries, and nearly 3 times the fatal police shootings of White 
Americans.
  On top of this, we know that these guns are not manufactured in our 
communities, which is why we believe gun manufacturers should be held 
accountable, and those who allow access to guns should be held 
accountable.
  Alarmingly, despite the fact that Black boys and men account for just 
6 percent of the total population, they comprise more than half of all 
gun homicide victims in our Nation.
  Madam Speaker, and to the chairs, I know personally the effects of 
losing a loved one to gun violence. My father was shot and killed when 
I was 19 years old, a freshman in college.
  I remember getting the call that so many loved ones fear getting, 
and, in serving the district, the call that so many of my constituents 
tell me that they experience, the call that says that you don't get to 
say good-bye, that you

[[Page H3941]]

don't get to tell your loved one once again that you love them, that 
they don't have the opportunity to see you, as my father didn't have 
with me, to finish my education, to raise three children, to serve my 
community, and to be here on the floor of the House of Representatives 
speaking about the issue of gun safety, not just in my community but in 
communities all across the country.
  These are problems that can be attributed to a number of factors, 
including the combination of weak gun laws as well as systemic racial 
inequities, including unequal access to safe housing, inadequate 
educational and employment opportunities, and a history of 
disinvestment in public infrastructure and services in communities of 
color.
  To remedy the ongoing issue of gun violence, we must continue to 
advance policies aimed at saving lives and making our communities 
safer.
  In the last Congress, the Congressional Black Caucus was instrumental 
in the House, passing the most significant piece of gun reform 
legislation in nearly 30 years with the Bipartisan Safer Communities 
Act, which was signed into law by President Biden.
  The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act took meaningful steps to protect 
our children, keep our schools safe, and reduce the overall threat of 
gun violence around our country by extending background checks for 
firearm purchases, clarifying licensing requirements, funding red flag 
laws and crisis intervention programs, and weakening the boyfriend 
loophole.
  This landmark piece of legislation was a positive step toward curbing 
gun violence in our communities, but we need to take more action to 
reimagine public safety, including holding law enforcement officers 
more accountable, using public health resources to address mental 
health crises, and ensuring all communities are well resourced with 
access to job opportunities, affordable childcare, and social services 
that improve quality of life.
  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues on the Congressional Black 
Caucus, as well as the partners of nonprofit organizations like 
Giffords, Brady, and Everytown, for their tireless work to advance 
safer communities and to save lives.
  To the people who have made this Congress act last Congress and who 
will demand that we act now, we know that public safety is not a red or 
blue issue. It is an American issue.
  There is no reason that in the most powerful country in the world, we 
can't do more to save lives, reduce crime, and break the cycle of 
violence. Our thoughts and prayers are simply not enough. We need 
action.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick for her 
leadership on these issues and Congressman Jackson. They experience 
these tragedies every day in the communities that they both serve.
  Madam Speaker, you have the commitment of the Congressional Black 
Caucus and its members that we will continue to advance safety for all 
of our communities.

                              {time}  2000

  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick).
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a voice for 
Floridians whose lives have been tragically cut short by the gun 
violence epidemic that is ravaging our communities.
  In 2020, an alarming statistic emerged. Guns became the leading cause 
of death among children and teenagers in the United States, claiming 
more lives than car accidents, cancer, or drug overdoses.
  This year alone, the United States has experienced over 400 mass 
shootings. My home State of Florida accounts for at least 20 of these. 
South Florida is no stranger to gun violence. Over what should have 
been a peaceful Memorial Day weekend this year, a total of nine people 
were shot on the Hollywood boardwalk. Four of them were kids.
  Yet, in the face of these incidents, we have witnessed a persistent 
denial among Republicans. In Florida, the extreme GOP State legislature 
is making it easier, not harder, for individuals to purchase guns.
  It is maddening to watch as lives are needlessly taken and families 
are torn apart. How have we let this become our new normal? How have we 
not curbed this epidemic? How have we not acted?
  We have a collective responsibility to build upon the landmark 
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and implement commonsense measures to 
keep weapons out of the hands of those who pose a danger to others. The 
bipartisan law is essential in curbing the gun violence epidemic and 
safeguarding our loved ones, but we cannot stop there.
  Now is the time for us to unite across party lines and work 
collectively to find real solutions. We must prioritize the safety of 
our communities by implementing responsible gun control measures, 
providing mental health resources, and dismantling the cycle of 
violence.
  Let us seize the opportunity to create a safe America where all 
families can thrive without the looming shadow of gun violence. I ask 
all members of this caucus and all Members of the Florida delegation to 
stand with us to make sure that we can end this gun violence epidemic.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
New Jersey (Mr. Payne).
  Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for the 
opportunity to speak tonight on an issue that paralyzes this Nation.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss and address our country's gun 
violence epidemic and promote the commonsense solutions from House 
Democrats that would save lives nationwide.
  This year, our country has suffered more than 400 mass shootings and 
mass murders--400--and gun violence has killed or injured more than 
40,000 Americans. This number includes more than 3,500 children or 
teens. In America, gun violence happens in grocery stores, elementary 
schools, college campuses, and private homes. That is a national 
tragedy that demands immediate action.
  My bill, the Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act, would use Federal 
grants to get guns out of the hands of criminals. It would reduce gun 
violence and make communities safer, and it is one solution of many in 
Congress that we have offered to date.
  House Democrats have introduced or will introduce at least 54 bills 
to reduce gun violence across the country. If passed, they would make 
gun owners and dealers accountable for their weapons. They would keep 
weapons out of the hands of criminals, and they would help law 
enforcement officials catch criminals who use guns to commit crimes.
  For example, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2023 would 
require that every sale of a firearm include a background check. It is 
supported by 90 percent of Democrats and Republicans in Congress.
  The Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2023 would provide the time 
necessary to conduct an effective background check on gun owners.
  The Assault Weapons Ban of 2023 would stop the sale, manufacture, 
transfer, or possession of assault weapons. These are weapons of war 
and need to be removed from our streets.
  The Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act of 2023 would ban bump stocks 
in the same manner as assault weapons. Bump stocks are designed to 
increase the firing rate of guns. It makes dangerous guns more lethal. 
They have no place in a civil society, Madam Speaker.
  Ethan's Law is a bill that would set Federal standards for safe gun 
storage. It would decrease the chance of a family member dying from the 
use of an unsecured firearm.
  The Pause for Gun Safety Act would require a 7-day waiting period 
before gun purchasers can possess their weapons.
  The Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act of 2023 would require photo 
identification before the purchase of gun ammunition online.
  The Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2023 would establish an 
Office of Gun Violence Prevention in the Department of Justice's Office 
of Legal Policy. This bill would allow the country to finally create a 
national gun violence prevention strategy.
  The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act would 
remove the dubious legal protections for gun manufacturers and possibly 
make

[[Page H3942]]

them liable for the harms and damage they inflict on communities across 
this country.
  The Ammunition Identification Act would require ammunition to have 
serial numbers. Then law enforcement officials could use those numbers 
to catch possible criminals based on gun ownership.
  The Untraceable Firearms Act of 2023 would regulate the production 
and sale of ghost guns. These guns are made in secret and cannot be 
traced, and they are a threat to every community in America.
  These bills represent commonsense solutions that Americans want to 
protect their families and loved ones from gun violence. We need to act 
on my bill and the others like it to create a safer country. The longer 
we wait, the more lives we lose, and one day it could come to your 
door.

  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from Georgia (Mrs. McBath).
  Mrs. McBATH. Madam Speaker, I thank Representatives Jackson and 
Cherfilus-McCormick and the Congressional Black Caucus for convening 
this Special Order hour this evening to speak, in particular, about gun 
safety.
  This past weekend, the United States surpassed 400 mass shootings in 
just this year alone. We have seen nearly double the number of 
tragedies than the amount of days that we have lived this year. It is 
an unmistakable reality that this grave challenge has only grown. Until 
we are fully dealing with this very dangerous gun culture that we are 
living in, it will continue to grow.
  No amount of condolences will ever rectify the grief of loved ones. 
Week after week after week, I talk to survivors like myself who are 
crying out to this body. When will we act?
  If faith without work is dead, then we must know that when thoughts 
and prayers end, meaningful action must begin.
  My Federal red flag law bill mirrors a commonsense measure that is 
already in place in many States around the country, actually Republican 
States. It has allowed for loved ones to work with law enforcement to 
get guns out of the hands of those loved ones or people that they deem 
in crisis, and it will truly help those who see the first signs of 
tragedy, and they can help to prevent it.
  These are effective laws that stop gun violence. We know that. 
Studies have proven that. Statistics have shown that in both Republican 
and Democratic States around the country. The American people are just 
calling on us to act. They are tired of waiting for us to act. They are 
calling on us to save lives.
  Last year, President Biden did sign into law, last summer, the 
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. It is the most comprehensive gun 
safety legislation that this body has enacted in decades. We have been 
investing in State red flag laws, funding for States that want to enact 
these lifesaving measures.
  Community violence intervention funding, I think everyone can agree 
we have got to get to the root causes of the violence. You pull out the 
root. You deal with the foundational problems that are causing the 
violence which causes gun violence.
  We were able through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to define 
who is a bona fide gun seller. We were able to make it a Federal crime 
for gun trafficking and straw purchases. We were able to secure funding 
for mental health for our public schools but also for law enforcement. 
It expanded background checks for gun sales.
  I have been doing this work in gun safety for the last 10 years since 
I lost my own son unnecessarily. Statistics have shown us again and 
again and again, and surveys have shown us again and again, that 97 
percent of the American public--and this is including law-abiding gun 
owners--know that we have a public health crisis with the gun culture 
in this country, and they believe that we must place some commonsense 
measures on our existing gun laws.
  Victims such as myself, survivors, live in daily angst just waiting 
for this body to act, waiting for us to do more. We are living in a 
violent culture. There are no safe spaces in America anymore. Survivors 
continue to live with the pain of having lost their loved ones 
unnecessarily and knowing that they, too, at some point in time may 
also be a victim of gun violence.
  More guns in America do not make us safer. That is a misnomer. That 
is not the truth. Commonsense gun safety measures with respect to 
putting public safety over profit by our gun manufacturers and gun 
sellers, that is what the American people are crying out for.
  In this country, a major industrialized nation, you are 25 times more 
likely to die here in the United States than anywhere else in the 
world. I pray every single day that this body will put their oath to 
protect and serve over the profit of this extremist gun culture that we 
are living in.

                              {time}  2015

  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank the Honorable 
Congresswoman McBath from the great State of Georgia for her comments.
  It is now my privilege to yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. 
Carter).
  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague 
from Illinois, Representative Jackson, for his incredible leadership in 
governing this Special Order hour.
  This June, we had the anniversary of the Bipartisan Safer Communities 
Act. I proudly voted for this bill because the gun violence epidemic 
affects all of us daily in our country. There is still so much work to 
be done--365 days later--as we have seen an extreme increase in mass 
shootings this summer.
  Our friends, our neighbors, and loved ones are living in fear every 
day as they go to shopping malls, movies theaters, schools, grocery 
stores, concerts, and yes, even places of worship.
  I can go on and on but as of today, the Gun Violence Archive reports 
that the United States has experienced some 400 shootings already. That 
is just this year alone. Countless lives lost, communities devastated 
and families that will never be the same.
  Where does it stop? We all have to take a deep, deep inventory of 
ourselves and ask the question: Where does it stop?
  To be clear, none of the actions that we suggest, promote or 
introduce are efforts to diminish the value of your constitutional 
rights.
  To challenge the Second Amendment is not our effort. We recognize and 
support the importance of the Second Amendment. But we also recognize 
the importance of making sure that we have safe communities; 
communities that are safe for all people, not just Democrats, safe for 
Republicans, Democrats, Independents and others, for people of all 
races, backgrounds, creeds, religions, beliefs, for everyone.
  This is an American issue. This is an issue that affects our 
communities and, I dare say, and I dare pray, that if this has not 
touched your community yet, that it doesn't. Unfortunately, if 
statistics bear true, it is a matter of time before it reaches, yes, 
your community, your neighborhood, your church, your school, your 
child.
  We have the power to change that. Collectively, Republican and 
Democrat, we have the power to change that. We have the power to say no 
more. We have the power to stand against the profits from the National 
Rifle Association and say: Continue to manufacture legal weapons, but 
make sure that we have sensible gun measures.
  Continue to profit from the paraphernalia that comes with it, but 
let's make sure that we have sensible gun measures to protect our 
communities.
  Yes, we have the power. It is within us. Let us not wait until we 
find ourselves leaning over a coffin crying because we have lost 
someone. Let the lives that have already been lost be the last, so 
there are no more mothers like my dear friend, Lucy McBath; so there 
are no more sons like my dear friend,   Steven Horsford; like the so 
many others that are out there, parents, loved ones, siblings, friends, 
fathers, mothers that have lost their loved ones to senseless gun 
violence.
  Let us, together, demonstrate to the American people that we are 
bigger, we are better, we are smarter, and we are stronger, and we will 
make a difference. We should not have to live like this.
  I implore my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to come to the 
table, come to the table, putting aside our partisan politics. Come to 
the table with the understanding that we care.

[[Page H3943]]

Come to the table with the understanding that we can, that we can make 
a difference for all of us.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank the Honorable 
Congressman Carter from the great State of Louisiana for those remarks.
  Madam Speaker, today I stand in solidarity with my colleagues in this 
Chamber and with citizens across this Nation in condemning the 
pervasive violence that has taken root in America.
  The scourge of violence has become an epidemic. Regrettably, the 
depth of its impact and its implications for our society's fabric 
remain inadequately grasped.
  We must recognize that violence is not solely defined as the act of 
wielding a gun. The violence that engulfs our Nation goes beyond the 
confines of weaponry.
  By the time hands are raised in aggression, the cultural and judicial 
strains have already transformed fellow citizens into adversaries. The 
staggering reality of 400 million guns in a Nation with 300 million 
citizens underscores a deep-seated issue.
  It is hardly shocking then, in such an environment, that individuals 
increasingly view one another as foes rather than fellow countrymen. 
The prevailing political and cultural mood of our Nation is manipulated 
by the insidious use of fear.
  Some of the most profound acts of violence in this country have been 
executed not just by those with firearms but by those exploiting fear 
to amplify their privilege and magnify their influence.
  Is it not an act of violence to belittle 400 years of African-
American resilience? A battle we should never have had to fight, a 
battle no one should be forced to endure.
  Yet, in a single afternoon, the Supreme Court chose to undercut what 
took 400 years for the Black community to establish, comprehensive 
policies that recognize and affirm our place against practices that 
they aimed to dismiss. Isn't this violence too?
  How can it not be considered violence when Harvard University is told 
it cannot use race as a criterion for admission, but it sees no 
restriction placed on legacy or wealth?
  The Supreme Court seems to suggest that being Black doesn't 
inherently carry merit, but being affluent certainly does.
  Perhaps a fellow Member here can enlighten me. When have the wealthy 
ever been disadvantaged in this Nation, that they needed further 
benefits because of their wealth? Can anyone refer me to such a time in 
history?

  The Supreme Court seemed to believe that in a mere 50 years, we have 
surpassed the need to factor in race, yet overlooked the fact that 
privilege has played a larger role in Ivy League admissions than race 
ever has.
  Where in the majority decision did the Court address the inherent 
advantages of unearned privilege?
  Where is the dedication to meritocracy in such a stance?
  Yet, it is revealing that many champion the cause of equality if it 
does not level the playing field much in favor of true equality.
  In this Nation, uniquely certain demographics perceive true equality 
as an affront to their status.
  For countless Black and Brown individuals witnessing the impact of 
this flawed ruling, the past fortnight has felt like a period of 
systemic aggression.
  When discussing violence in America, our focus shouldn't solely be on 
the acts committed by those who misuse firearms. Florida's Governor 
didn't need a firearm to ban books and dismiss the educational value of 
African-American history.
  The Florida Board of Education didn't wield a gun when they sidelined 
African-American studies in their advanced placement curriculum. 
Recently, we were dismayed to learn that Florida's newly approved 
middle school syllabus had the audacity to suggest that slavery was 
somehow advantageous for Black individuals.
  In 2023, it is disheartening to note that in Florida, an educational 
curriculum was sanctioned by those brazen enough to insinuate that 
slavery could be deemed beneficial in any manner. There has been 
silence by so many in this body. This silence is tantamount to 
violence.
  Those who sanctioned this content attempted to defend their stance, 
asserting that slavery taught Black individuals skills like 
agriculture, painting, carpentry, blacksmithing, tailoring, and 
transportation.
  This emphasizes the importance of lawmakers fully understanding the 
laws they create. Had they read some of the very literature they 
hastily sought to ban, they would have recognized the sheer absurdity 
of such claims.
  Black civilizations were the architects behind the pyramids. The 
Fertile Crescent of the Nile Valley stands testament to their prowess 
in civil engineering and agricultural innovation.
  Timbuktu houses one of the world's earliest and most renowned 
universities.
  A full two millennia before Hippocrates, Imhotep was already 
pioneering medical practices and documenting them.
  African civilizations were the crucible for philosophy, science, 
poetry, and monotheistic religions.
  How could a cadre of ill-informed, unenlightened, narrow-minded, and 
archaic policymakers in Florida presume to suggest that Black 
individuals required the shackles of slavery to grasp shoemaking?
  How deeply misguided must one be to suggest that absent slavery, 
Black artistry would be nonexistent, when Picasso drew inspiration from 
modernist art from African masks?
  To audaciously claim that Black individuals learned about 
transportation through slavery, ignoring the fact that they navigated 
the Congo's waters well before Europeans even embarked on their maiden 
voyages, is pure folly.
  Slavery served to starkly remind Black individuals how America often 
fell short of its proclaimed values. It underscored the bitter truth 
that one could be despised without the slightest effort to understand 
their history or heritage.
  To anyone who cannot see the inherent harm in teaching young Black 
students that slavery was somehow a boon, you are sorely mistaken about 
the essence of institutional and educational violence. What Governor 
DeSantis did was educational violence.
  To shed light on some historical facts, according to records, 
Governor Ron DeSantis' great-grandmother landed on American shores in 
February 1917. She arrived in New York, eager to embrace her new 
identity as an Italian American, and she was fully entitled to.
  Regardless of her great-grandson's current disposition, she 
undoubtedly contributed to this Nation, and her contribution was as 
pivotal as anyone else's.
  But let me also remind you that the first Africans came to America in 
1619, landing in Jamestown, Virginia--298 years separate 1619 from 
1917, 298 years.
  Yet, we have a Governor in Florida, a descendent of those who arrived 
nearly 3 centuries after my ancestors, presuming to dictate my 
understanding of the African-American experience in this country.
  How dare you, Governor DeSantis. You are absolutely a disgrace. No 
Ron-DeSantis-come-lately will tell Black people the value of our 
contributions to America.
  That is why all of us on this side of the aisle are elated to see 
Madam Vice President of the United States take the fight for Black 
history directly to Florida.
  Thank you, Madam Vice President Kamala Harris for speaking out 
against ridiculous claims being made by the Florida Board of Education.
  Across this Nation, individuals with a sense of justice commend Vice 
President Harris for her unwavering stand for truth and righteousness.
  Yet, this is adversity we face. Firearms merely represent the latest 
form of hostility directed at Black and Brown communities. Over 400 
mass shootings have occurred in 2023, and this year isn't over yet.
  Discussing the glaring imbalance of having 100 million more firearms 
than we have citizens, while not addressing 25 million American school-
age children who can't read is an incomplete picture. The link is 
apparent. Children lacking literacy skills may become adults more prone 
to resort to crime, potentially involving guns.
  If we are going to have a serious debate about violence in America, 
then we must be willing to talk about this issue at every level.

[[Page H3944]]

  When the Supreme Court said it was legal for a website designer to 
deny LGBTQ people services, what kind of violence did that do to the 
LGBTQ community? What kind of psychological, emotional, if not 
spiritual violence did that decision bring to bear in the lives of 
Black and Brown people?

                              {time}  2030

  I firmly stand with those who say that we need a national solution to 
solve a national problem of gun violence, but I challenge all of us not 
to view this issue so narrowly.
  Gun violence stands at the intersection of race, poverty, and class, 
and needs to be understood in this way.
  We cannot become so enamored with the effects of the bullet that we 
forget the economics of the gun. The root of the violence isn't merely 
in the act of pulling the trigger, but in the lived experiences of 
those who resort to such extremes.
  The Biden-Harris administration's success in enacting the first 
substantial gun laws in nearly three decades is commendable. With 
executive orders, President Biden has significantly addressed the gun 
crisis.
  Yet, even in a scenario where guns are scarce, the ramifications of 
America's inherent violence will persist as it stems from prejudice and 
intolerance. This kind of violence, Madam Speaker, of which I speak, is 
the progeny of fear. It is the direct and lamentable offspring of what 
happens when people use revenge to play games with the resentment of 
White, working-class people. This kind of violence cannot be arrested 
and merely thrown in jail.
  Regrettably, it cannot be legislated out of the hearts and minds of 
people who use it to make a name for themselves. Once you allow your 
politics to become sufficiently murderous, the kind of social evil it 
produces can never be truly contained.
  What is today a conversation about the inequities associated with 
race will tomorrow become the first line of a sad eulogy written about 
the American Dream. This is what we have tried to get America to see.
  The willingness to mistreat Black history means that there are people 
living among us who are more than willing to mishandle American history 
as a whole.
  So let us ultimately deal with every form of violence in America. 
Systemic cruelty, like the violence in the streets, destroys the lives 
and tears families apart.
  Judicial roughness is no less a threat to Black children than the 
specter of gang violence and all illegal guns being used to destroy 
Black bodies without justification or remorse.
  Donald Trump openly taught us what political brutality can do to the 
moral fiber of a Nation that has slowly begun to forget its 
constitutional ideals. While it is altogether fitting to talk about 
gang violence in Chicago, murders in Memphis, and mass shootings in 
Texas, don't forget to talk about the kind of economic violence being 
visited upon Black families this country sees every day. The members of 
the Congressional Black Caucus will always mention it.
  We will always talk about it because our country's future depends 
upon an honest assessment of who we are and what it is that we owe to 
one another. To truly end violence in our Nation, it is not enough to 
just regulate guns; we must also address and rectify America's deep-
rooted issues with privilege, power, and hatred.
  Addressing one issue without the other is tackling an issue that will 
not be secure. We must render our efforts as effective so that we will 
be a blessed Nation.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, I rise today because every year, on 
average, 36,000 Americans are killed by guns, which is equivalent to 
the population of many Ohio cities. We must do more to close the 
loopholes and advance sensible gun reform legislation to end this 
epidemic in America.
  And speaking of Ohio, where I am from and represent, according to the 
Giffords Law Center's annual gun scorecard grades Ohio at an `F'. As 
the Congresswoman representing Ohio's Third Congressional District, 
this is something I am not proud of.
  Currently at the state level, Ohio has no universal background 
checks, no assault weapons restrictions, no ban on large capacity 
magazines, no waiting periods, no child access prevention laws, no gun 
owner licensing or registration requirements, no extreme risk 
protection orders, no limit on the number of guns that can be bought at 
once, and also lacks most domestic violence gun laws.
  Easy gun access encourages the increased prevalence of firearms in 
our communities. As someone who deeply values the families and 
communities I serve, one of my top priorities is keeping them safe.
  I stand proud to be a part of that push for necessary reform as a 
cosponsor of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, which would 
establish checks on the transfer of firearms between private parties 
and prohibits the transfer of a firearm if a preliminary background 
check has not been conducted. I am also a cosponsor of the Assault 
Weapons Ban Act and a number of other sensible gun violence prevention 
measures.
  However, we must push further and look to reform historical systemic 
disparities by investing in community-based violence intervention 
policies that rectify injustices in our policing, education, and 
residential segregation and racial bias.
  More than one in four fatal police shootings involves a Black victim, 
even though Black people make up nearly 14 percent of the United States 
population.
  The time for action is now. As members of Congress, we have an 
obligation to protect the citizens we represent and be proactive in 
preventing harm to all Americans.
  I urge my colleagues on the other side to come together and set aside 
partisan differences before it's too late. We owe it to the victims of 
gun violence; we owe it to our constituents. My fellow CBC members have 
already started answering this call as we have introduced over 17 
sensible gun reform and community safety bills in the 118th Congress 
alone.

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