[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.
____________________