Jackie Speier: “It has now been almost 6 months since the tragedy of Newtown. The American response to that tragedy was quick and…”

“It has now been almost 6 months since the tragedy of Newtown. The American response to that tragedy was quick and overwhelming. And yet, we have done nothing to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. In fact, many of my colleagues here in this institution seem all too ready to forget Newtown and the gun violence epidemic that is devastating families and communities across our country every single day. According to Slate's gun-death tracker, an estimated 4,620 people have died as a result of gun violence in America since Newtown--4,620 people. In 12 U.S. States, gun deaths now outpace auto deaths. A new analysis from the Violence Policy Center found that in 2010, there were 31,672 firearm deaths and 35,498 motor vehicle deaths, compared with 1999, when there were 28,000 firearm deaths and 42,000 motor vehicle deaths, which is startling considering more than 90 percent of the American households own a car while less than one-third of American households own a gun. We require auto manufacturers to include safety features like seatbelts and airbags, and to pass crash safety tests, and lives are being saved as a result. By 2015, gun deaths will outnumber auto deaths on a national scale. Think about that. More gun deaths than auto deaths, and we require all these precautions and restrictions on manufacturers to make sure our cars are safe and we do nothing--nothing--when it comes to gun manufacturers. Think about that.…”