[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12659-12660]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         SILENCE EQUALS DEATH IN THE FIGHT AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Massachusetts (Ms. Clark) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to demand a 
vote on commonsense gun safety legislation. It has been 26 years since 
our country has passed any meaningful gun safety legislation.
  I have only been in the House for a little over 2\1/2\ years, and we 
have had 10 moments of silence to recognize victims of mass shootings 
during that time.
  After Fort Hood in April of 2014, when 19 people were shot in a 
deadly rampage, Republican leaders brought us together for a moment of 
silence, but there was no discussion about honoring those lives with 
our action.
  In May of 2014, the country came together after a massacre in Santa 
Barbara, and families looked to our Nation's leaders to see what they 
could do. What did they hear? More silence.
  In June of 2015, nine parishioners were murdered by a hate-filled 
radical--who was able to get his gun because of a loophole--while they 
were at a Bible study at the Emanuel Church in South Carolina. While 
those lost inspired our country, the Members of Congress bowed their 
heads in silence and did nothing else.
  Then there was Chattanooga, Roseburg, Colorado Springs, and San 
Bernardino. Dozens were murdered in senseless killing sprees. And while 
the country demanded a vote to finally do something about gun violence, 
this Congress responded with silence.
  Three months ago, after the worst gun massacre in modern history took 
place at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, some of us had 
finally had enough. If our friends in the LGBT community have taught us 
anything, it is that silence equals death. And this is no time to be 
silent.
  Our frustration, and the frustration of the American people, resulted 
in a sit-in that gave voice to the American families who are fed up 
with a Congress that is cowed into silence by the rich and powerful gun 
lobby.
  Here we are, 3 months later, and House Republicans have spent more 
time thinking about how they can punish us for that sit-in than doing 
anything to address the gun violence devastating Americans.
  In July, rather than allow debates and votes on keeping American 
children and families safe, Republican leaders adjourned this House. 
Since then, an additional 2,015 Americans were killed by guns. In 
Chicago alone, 3,000 people have been killed or injured by guns just 
this year.
  This is a public health crisis, and this Republican Congress has 
returned to its routine silence instead of working to keep Americans 
safe. I am here to tell you, the American people will not forget and 
will not continue to stand for this silence and inaction.
  Every single day, victims and survivors of gun violence come and tell 
their heart-wrenching stories to Members of Congress.
  I have stood with Felicia Sanders as she gathered the courage to 
stand in front of our Nation's Capitol and tell the story that no 
mother should have to tell. At Emanuel Church in North Carolina, 
Felicia's son, Tywanza, ran toward the gunman while trying to shield 
others in his Bible study group. Tywanza was only 26 when Felicia said 
her final goodbye.
  I have had the honor of thanking Catherine Bodine for coming and 
telling her story to the American people. Her abuser, who had prior 
felony convictions, found a loophole, purchased a gun online with no 
background check, no waiting period, nothing. Catherine was shot three 
times trying to protect her 10-year-old daughter. Her daughter, Sami, 
the girl she called her best friend and her inspiration, died in her 
arms.
  These mothers, and thousands more like them, get up every single 
morning and summon the bravery to be beacons for change this country is 
asking for. Although their lives are forever changed by violence, they 
take it upon themselves to fight for their communities, tell their 
stories, and make sure that no other family has to experience this 
horror.
  My question, Mr. Speaker, is this: If everyday people, moms like 
Felicia and

[[Page 12660]]

Catherine, can find the courage to fight for change, why is their 
courage met with the cowardice of silence?
  Let's have a vote, have the debate to honor the lives that they have 
lost and that we have lost as a country, and let's end this stony, 
callous silence.

                          ____________________