[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 197 (Thursday, November 30, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H5992-H5993]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             GUN HOMICIDES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, while gun deaths in the United States far 
outpace those of other countries and now are the leading cause of death 
among children under 18, recent CDC

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data shows a glimmer of hope: Gun homicides are down slightly from 
2021.
  We have seen this reduction in places like Philadelphia and Chester 
as a host of community violence prevention programs, funded by the 
American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, take 
hold.
  Tragically, the data also shows gun suicides reached a record high 
last year with nearly 27,000 people across the United States dying from 
gun suicide. More than half of gun deaths in Pennsylvania alone were 
from suicides last year.
  We have ways to reduce gun suicide in this country, red flag laws, 
safe storage, and waiting periods, all of which have been proven to 
reduce gun suicide, but the NRA and extremist Republicans continue to 
block these commonsense constitutional measures which can save lives.
  When we speak about gun violence, we often say there are solutions, 
research-based solutions. We don't have to live this way. Today, I will 
add that in the case of gun suicide, we should also be mindful that 
people don't have to die this way.
  By creating legal space between a person in crisis and access to a 
firearm, more people will live and more families will be spared the 
immeasurable pain of losing a loved one. We need Congressional action 
now.


                   Election Misinformation Continues

  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, election misinformation continues to plague 
our country as leaders who know better repeat or fail to contradict 
baseless conspiracy theories and lies about the integrity of our 
elections. Not only do these lies and conspiracy theories undermine 
public faith in our democracy and elections, they cost taxpayer 
dollars.
  Since the 2020 election, in the county where I live, we have seen 
multiple baseless lawsuits filed seeking to overturn or audit election 
results. None of them have produced evidence of misconduct or 
inaccurate results. What they have done is cost taxpayer dollars in 
legal fees, court resources, and time and effort by county employees 
and election officials that have to be diverted to defending these 
groundless suits.
  I am proud of the professional administrators and volunteers who work 
so diligently every election to safeguard our democracy and make it 
work, but it is also important that leaders from across the political 
spectrum step up and stand up for our democratic processes and call out 
those who are trying to undermine them, as well as call out those who 
are wasting taxpayer dollars.

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