Elizabeth Esty said "The American people expect us to act to protect them. We need a tough and smart counterterrorism strategy to go after ISIS, and that has to include taking commonsense steps to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists. In a 2011 propaganda video, an al Qaeda spokesman encouraged radicals to buy guns in the United States, saying: America is absolutely awash in obtainable firearms. The overwhelming majority of the American people support reasonable fixes to prevent terrorists from buying guns and to expand background checks for all commercial gun sales. Yet, in the 3\1/2\ years since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the House has not held a single vote on legislation to prevent gun violence. In that time, gun violence has killed more than 100,000 Americans. It took a 25-hour sit-in and thousands of Americans rising up and demanding a vote, but here we are finally voting on something. It is a step forward. Unfortunately, the bill we are voting on this week was written by the gun lobby, and it won't do anything to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals. So let's keep working. Let's send bipartisan legislation to the President's desk, because the American people are demanding action. We should listen and we should act. ___________________

On the recordJuly 5, 2016

The American people expect us to act to protect them. We need a tough and smart counterterrorism strategy to go after ISIS, and that has to include taking commonsense steps to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists. In a 2011 propaganda video, an al Qaeda spokesman encouraged radicals to buy guns in the United States, saying: America is absolutely awash in obtainable firearms. The overwhelming majority of the American people support reasonable fixes to prevent terrorists from buying guns and to expand background checks for all commercial gun sales. Yet, in the 3\1/2\ years since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the House has not held a single vote on legislation to prevent gun violence. In that time, gun violence has killed more than 100,000 Americans. It took a 25-hour sit-in and thousands of Americans rising up and demanding a vote, but here we are finally voting on something. It is a step forward. Unfortunately, the bill we are voting on this week was written by the gun lobby, and it won't do anything to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals. So let's keep working. Let's send bipartisan legislation to the President's desk, because the American people are demanding action. We should listen and we should act. ____________________

Said by

Elizabeth Esty

Democratic · Connecticut

Source

govinfo.gov

Jul 5, 2016