[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8246-8247]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                           STOP GUN VIOLENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Carbajal) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Speaker, today I rise because 3 short years ago, 
the Isla Vista community in my district was rocked by an act of tragic 
and senseless gun violence. A young man took the lives of 6 UCSB 
students and injured 14 others. That day families were torn apart by a 
kind of grief that no one should have to ever experience--the loss of a 
child.
  The tragedy in Isla Vista we remember today is once again a reminder 
of the consequences of inaction by Congress regarding the epidemic of 
gun violence across our Nation. Far too often there are many red flags 
of someone intending to do harm, but no one can connect the dots.
  Today I introduced legislation, with my colleagues Congresswoman Esty 
and Congressman Beyer, that will allow families and loved ones who see 
disturbing warning signs the ability to

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work with law enforcement and the courts so that they may intervene and 
better prevent acts of violence.
  States like California and Connecticut have led the way on important 
measures to combat gun violence. This bill would encourage other States 
to adopt these proven preventative measures. The Gun Violence 
Restraining Order Act would help ensure that family members can go to 
court to seek a gun violence prevention order to temporarily stop 
someone who poses a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or 
possessing a gun.
  When someone alerts law enforcement and members of their own family 
that they wish to do harm to themselves or members of the community, as 
was the case in Isla Vista, it is irresponsible of lawmakers not to 
give judges and police the ability to intervene.
  I urge my colleagues to act and pass this commonsense legislation so 
that not one more family must live through the nightmare that parents 
experienced in Isla Vista on March 23, 2014.

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