[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12663-12664]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECK AND NO FLY, NO BUY LEGISLATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Eshoo) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I was proud to join our Nation's great civil 
rights leader, John Lewis, and so many of our outstanding colleagues 
that have spoken out on the issue of gun violence when we had our 
historic sit-in in the House in June.
  Our request then and our request today are the same. I think it is 
really rather simple. We are asking to be allowed to vote on two 
commonsense bills to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people--a 
universal background check bill that will close loopholes and no fly, 
no buy legislation to prevent people who are on the FBI's terrorist 
watch list from buying guns. Imagine, the FBI has them on a watch list 
but they can still buy guns. Both proposals have overwhelming support 
of the American people and they have bipartisan support in Congress.
  Background checks are supported by 9 out of 10 Americans, and they 
have been proven to be successful at keeping guns out of the wrong 
hands. Every day, background checks stop more than 170 felons, 50 
domestic abusers, and 20 fugitives from buying guns. Where these 
loopholes have been closed in States, such as Connecticut, the numbers 
have dropped dramatically.
  Today, under current law, up to 40 percent of gun sales are completed 
with no background checks whatsoever. In our great country, no 
background checks whatsoever. People can buy guns online the way you 
can go out and buy M&Ms. Meanwhile, the most common places where the 
American people go--to church, to school, to movie theaters--they are 
under siege.
  This Congress, do you know what this Congress has done, for anyone 
who is listening in?
  We have had 31 moments of silence.
  Mr. Speaker, sympathy is not enough. In fact, it comes off as being 
hypocritical. As sincere as people have been when they bow their heads 
for less than a minute, it is not enough. We have an epidemic in our 
country, and we can do something about it. We have bipartisan 
legislation.
  Now, meanwhile, bills have been brought to the floor without one 
cosponsor. But Mr. King's and Mr. Thompson's legislation, H.R. 1217, 
has 186 cosponsors.
  Now, why can't we vote on this? Why?
  I think that there is a complicity with the NRA with all of these 
deaths around the country, the violence that has taken place, of 
innocent people--children, young people, adults--and then all of the 
aftermath of grieving. And the families that have lost someone, they 
have a mark on their soul. They will grieve the rest of their lives.

[[Page 12664]]

  We are asking for a vote. If you don't agree with me, vote ``no.'' 
But, Mr. Speaker, we have a responsibility, and I think a high moral 
responsibility, to address this. We are asking that these two bills be 
brought to the floor. Law enforcement supports these bills. The 
American people support these bills. Mr. Speaker, I think it is about 
time that these bills be brought to the floor. We can save American 
lives. Imagine that. By adopting these two bills, we can save American 
lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty), 
someone who has been a leader on this issue.
  Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, we need a vote. What will it take for this 
House, the people's House, to finally vote on commonsense, bipartisan 
legislation to save American lives?
  Since the murder of 20 schoolchildren and 6 educators in one of my 
communities in Newtown, Connecticut, 3 years and 9 months ago, we have 
not had one single debate and not one vote.

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