Julia Brownley: “It is with a heavy heart that I come before this body to remember the 12 innocent lives lost 5 years ago today at…”

“It is with a heavy heart that I come before this body to remember the 12 innocent lives lost 5 years ago today at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California. Our community was forever changed by this tragedy inflicted by the plague of gun violence that continues to permeate every corner of our country. While House Republicans wasted precious time fighting with each other over electing a new Speaker for 21 days and 21 hours, there were 33 more mass shootings, 1,030 people died from gun violence, and another 2,072 people were injured. Within hours of Speaker Johnson being elected, there was a mass shooting in Maine that resulted in the tragic loss of 18 lives and left 13 others injured. Madam Speaker, the American people are no longer satisfied with empty offers of thoughts and prayers in times of such tragedies. They want action, not meaningless words. In memory of the Borderline 12, I call on Speaker Johnson and my Republican colleagues to bring commonsense, lifesaving gun safety legislation, including a ban on assault weapons, to the floor now. ____________________”