Anna Eshoo: “I was proud to join our Nation's great civil rights leader, John Lewis, and so many of our outstanding colleagues that…”

“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.…”