Anna Eshoo: “Mr. Speaker, today as well, every 2 minutes someone in America is shot. And every quarter of an hour somebody dies from…”

“Mr. Speaker, today as well, every 2 minutes someone in America is shot. And every quarter of an hour somebody dies from a gun wound. It is a fact, Mr. Speaker, every time our emergency room doors open for a gunshot victim, it is going to cost someone an average of $33,000. And that someone is the American taxpayer. Most of the gunshot victims who come through the emergency rooms do not have adequate insurance. That leaves the taxpayer to absorb those costs. Mr. Speaker, the crime issue is not only an issue involving freedom from fear of violence. It is an economic issue, and it is a public health issue. Today, as we deliberate this legislation, we should remember that our crime problems are not going to be solved by trying to put more people to death or filling our prisons up at a faster rate. Our responsibility requires us to take a comprehensive and balanced approach that includes the range of prevention, habeas corpus and racial justice provisions and addresses violent crime. It is not only the right thing to do, it is the fiscally sound thing to do as well.”