[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 9]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        A CRITICAL STEP FORWARD

  (Mr. GALLEGO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, for too long, calls for Congress to pass 
commonsense gun control measures--heartfelt appeals from concerned 
Americans of all ages and ideologies, including gun owners--have fallen 
on deaf ears.
  Despite the mounting death toll, the Republican leadership has 
refused to consider any new measures to address the devastating impact 
of gun violence in America.
  We cannot continue to wait for Republicans to come to their senses. 
The price of delay for our children, for our families, and for our 
communities is simply too steep. That is why I applaud President Obama 
for putting American lives above partisan politics.
  The President's executive actions will require more gun sellers to be 
licensed and to conduct background checks, narrowing the dangerous 
loopholes that allow guns to fall into the hands of criminals or the 
mentally ill.
  The new rules will also make it easier for us to hold irresponsible 
dealers accountable and to track guns that are lost or stolen. This is 
a critical step forward, but it is not enough.
  I call on my colleagues to join the President in taking real action 
to prevent gun tragedies and keep the American people safe.

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