On the recordJune 15, 2016
Our country continues to grieve with Orlando and the LGBT community in the wake of the deadly shooting at the Pulse nightclub. The American people are angry; they are anxious; they are afraid; and they have good reason to be. This is the deadliest in a long list of recent attacks. Yet, after each mass shooting, many of my Republican colleagues have stood in the way of efforts to protect Americans from the next one. Monday night we held yet another moment of silence on the House floor. I have lost track of how many moments of silence we have had since I have been in Congress. Mr. Speaker, I am sick of silence. Forty-nine people were murdered this weekend in Orlando, and that is not just a number. Those are 49 young men and women who had parents and boyfriends and girlfriends who loved them and whose lives will never be the same. Moments of silence are not enough to honor these victims, and they do nothing to prevent future attacks. Mr. Speaker, I am calling on you to allow us to vote on reinstating the assault weapons ban and legislation to prevent suspected terrorists from buying firearms. ____________________
