[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16461]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              GUN VIOLENCE

  (Mr. CICILLINE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, last Sunday, mass shootings inflicted 
violence on Elkhart, Indiana, and Fort Myers, Florida. There have been 
more than 300 mass shootings in the United States this year--more than 
in any other country in the world.
  One of the causes for this gun violence epidemic is that the NICS 
system, which is the background check system that we rely on to keep 
our communities safe, is not working.
  Over the last few years, shooters in Aurora, Charleston, and at 
Virginia Tech were all able to buy guns legally despite numerous red 
flags; and, as of last year, 11 States still were not even providing 
information to the NICS system. Congress needs to do more to bring them 
into the system.
  Right now, someone who has committed a violent crime could walk into 
a gun store and put an assault rifle on the counter, and if a 
background check is not completed within 3 days, there is no 
prohibition to selling that individual the gun. We need to extend this 
review period so NICS can thoroughly vet someone before he is able to 
buy a gun.
  These are commonsense solutions, and it is time for Congress to act 
and put a stop to an epidemic that is taking the lives of thousands of 
Americans each year.

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