[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8264]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY

  (Ms. KELLY of Illinois asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, today I am wearing orange in 
recognition of the first annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day. 
Orange is the safety color hunters wear to alert others of their 
presence, and this is the perfect color to represent safety with 
respect to firearms and the value of human life.
  Last week, as we honored our troops and celebrated Memorial Day 
weekend, a wave of gun violence ripped through the city of Chicago, 
wounding more than 50 people and killing 12. Among the victims were a 
17-year-old boy, a 15-year-old girl, and a 4-year-old child.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress needs to act now. We can't equip every American 
with an orange hunting vest, but we can surely take sensible approaches 
to reduce the threat of gun violence in our communities.
  This Congress, I have introduced H.R. 224, which would require the 
Surgeon General to compile a report on the public health impact of gun 
violence. This commonsense gun bill can help us understand the public 
health impact of gun violence and prevent future shootings.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand with me and support 
commonsense legislation to curb the violence that plagues our Nation. 
And I want to say happy birthday, Hadiya, and happy birthday, Blair 
Holt.

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