[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9481-9482]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              GUN VIOLENCE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, in the aftermath of last week's mass murder 
in Orlando that took the lives of 49 people, we saw where the American 
people stand on gun control. We know that gun safety is essential to 
making us a safer, more secure America. As an example of what went on 
in Orlando after that terrible morning, people stood for hours in long 
lines waiting to donate blood. People attended large gatherings to 
express their united grief. People left flowers and figurines at the 
scene of the murders. In cities across the country, people stood at 
candlelight vigils to honor members of the LGBT community and the 
Latino community who were slaughtered.
  Here in the Capitol, Senator Murphy stood on the floor of the Senate 
for 15 hours demanding that Congress act to stop gun violence. In 
Florida, families and friends of victims stood grieving at graveside 
services for their murdered loved ones.
  Where were Senate Republicans? Where did they stand? Yet again, 
Senate Republicans stood with the National Rifle Association.
  Yesterday, the leader of Gun Owners of America--the shadow 
organization of the NRA--said he believed that people should be armed 
in bars and taverns. That is what he said.

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  Last night, for the third time in as many years, Senate Republicans 
stood with the NRA in blocking commonsense gun legislation that would 
keep firearms and explosives away from suspected terrorists and other 
dangerous individuals.
  Senate Republicans proved again that regardless of how brutal the 
massacre or how reasonable the solution, ultimately--it doesn't matter; 
there is never a good time--their actions will be dictated by the 
National Rifle Association.
  A CNN poll released yesterday said 90 percent of Americans support 
expanded background checks and 85 percent of Americans support 
legislation keeping guns away from suspected terrorists. There is one 
reason that these proposals are not already law--the National Rifle 
Association--because they oppose anything dealing with guns.
  How can Senate Republicans side with the NRA against the American 
people? Ninety percent of Americans support expanded background checks. 
If you are a criminal or a crazy person, you shouldn't be able to get a 
gun. Eighty-five percent of Americans support legislation keeping guns 
away from suspected terrorists. But the NRA doesn't support that, and 
so Senate Republicans don't support it.
  Here is a little secret for my Republican colleagues: The NRA doesn't 
care about you. It doesn't care about your constituents. It doesn't 
care about the constitutional rights of its followers. The NRA and its 
leadership care about two things: Making money for gun manufacturers 
and making money for the NRA--and selling more guns.
  The NRA wants gun manufacturers to be able to make more guns. There 
are never enough. The NRA wants to have more firearms sold. More guns 
sold means more money and more donations for their bottom line.
  During times of crisis when Americans should be coming together to 
find these commonsense solutions, what does the NRA do? They raise 
every dollar they can by spreading lies and fomenting these conspiracy 
theories. The mail is out, folks. Look in your mailbox. Direct mail is 
their specialty. They circulate false mailers to their followers.
  For example, ``Congress is trying to take away your guns!'' or 
``President Obama wants to confiscate your firearms!''
  The NRA uses that money to fund ads against candidates who refuse to 
bow down to the gun lobby.
  Taking a page from the Koch brothers' playbook, the NRA uses so-
called dark money to influence elections through mysterious front 
groups awash in undisclosed campaign cash.
  The NRA says they are spending money to protect gun owners. Well, it 
is clear what it is really about. It is about protecting the power of 
the National Rifle Association.
  Since the Supreme Court's misguided Citizens United decision, the NRA 
has tripled its political spending to support their radical agenda, but 
Republicans in Congress have no knowledge of any of this. Senate 
Republicans pretend the NRA is simply a grassroots organization working 
for America's best interests. Nothing could be further from the truth. 
This is false.
  The NRA used to advocate for mandatory background checks. It used to 
encourage reasonable legislation to keep guns away from dangerous 
individuals.
  One month after the Columbine shooting in Colorado, where those two 
young men killed a lot of innocent people, Wayne LaPierre, the 
executive vice president of the National Rifle Association--the man who 
goes on TV all the time justifying what they do--testified before the 
House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime. Here is what he said:

       We think it is reasonable to provide mandatory instant 
     criminal background checks for every sale at every gun show. 
     No loopholes anywhere for anyone.

  Wayne LaPierre said that.
  Now, in 2016, it is a different story. Just yesterday this same 
organization pressured Senate Republicans to vote against closing 
loopholes he said should be closed.
  Senate Republicans voted against the Murphy amendment that would have 
closed loopholes in our Nation's background check system.
  Senate Republicans voted against Senator Feinstein's amendment that 
would have closed the terror loophole, which simply allows suspected 
terrorists to legally purchase weapons and explosives. We believe it 
should be closed, but it is not. The loophole is still there because 
Republicans have always followed the NRA mandate.
  That is how strong the NRA's hold is on Senate Republicans. 
Republicans won't even agree to keep guns away from terrorists.
  The Republican Congress has become so thoroughly indoctrinated that 
it is now the legislative wing of the NRA. While the Republicans do the 
bidding of the NRA, innocent Americans are being gunned down in 
schools, churches, and nightclubs.
  How many more mass shootings will we have to endure before 
Republicans realize that they are being used by the NRA? How many more 
people have to die before Republicans come to grips with the fact that 
the NRA is only concerned about its bottom line?
  The American people are looking to Congress for leadership. They are 
hoping we will do something substantive to protect our communities from 
gun violence, but the simple truth is, we cannot protect the American 
people and protect the NRA at the same time. Public safety demands a 
solution that prevents dangerous people from possessing weapons, while 
the NRA exists solely as a fundraising vehicle for more guns, more 
bullets, and fewer safeguards.
  It is time for Republicans in Congress to defend the people who sent 
them to Washington in the first place, and put the personal safety of 
their constituents over the needs of the NRA. It is time for the 
Republicans to tell the NRA: Enough murder, enough carnage, enough 
guns.
  Mr. President, there is no one on the floor seeking recognition. I 
ask the Chair to announce the business of the day.

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