Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address two critical bills that would mandate studies to examine, one, whether tasers are a safer alternative to firearms and, two, how innovative technology can enhance the safety of firearms. My bill, H.R. 4740, the TASER Access, Safety, and Effectiveness Review Study Act, or TASERS Act, will direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to coordinate a multiagency study comparing the effectiveness and the safety of firearms and of tasers. By studying tasers, Mr. Speaker, we can determine whether they can be a safe, effective, and, most importantly, nonlethal weapon of self-defense. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4784 would direct the National Institute of Justice to update its 2013 study on gun safety technologies. The 2013 NIJ study noted that several innovative gun-locking technologies were close to coming onto the market in our Nation. Newer gun-locking or smart-gun technologies require fingerprints or other advanced mechanisms to unlock the firearms. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, vehement protests and inaccurate information about drastic cost increases from the gun lobby have prevented this technology from becoming widely available. Mr. Speaker, smart-gun technology has the potential to stop firearms from being used by those who shouldn't possess them. A 2019 Department of Justice survey found that 56 percent of prisoners who possessed a firearm during their offense obtained it through illicit channels. Additionally, Mr.…”