On the recordMarch 15, 2018
I urge my colleagues to support the bipartisan Gun Violence Restraining Order Act. After the Parkland, Florida shooting tragically took the lives of 17 students and educators, students across the country have stood up and said: Enough is enough. They have demanded that Congress act to prevent these horrific acts of violence. Since Parkland, NRA officials, Republican lawmakers, and even the President have repeatedly said that we need to disarm individuals who pose a threat to themselves or their community--those posting on social media or telling friends and family that they plan to take lives with a gun. GVRO laws do just that. That is why California passed these protections after the shooting at UCSB's Isla Vista. And now Florida is considering similar legislation in the wake of the Parkland shooting. Only a handful of States currently have legal processes to temporarily remove those firearms. The GVRO Act encourages other States to follow their lead to empower family members or law enforcement officials to petition a judge to temporarily remove firearms from an individual in crisis. No one law will be a panacea, but that is not an excuse for inaction. Since its introduction, the GVRO Act has gained significant support from my colleagues in the majority. Madam Speaker, we are calling on Speaker Ryan to bring the bipartisan GVRO Act to the floor for a vote. Our children's lives depend on it.
