On the recordJanuary 5, 2017
A little over a month ago, I attended the funeral of Javon Wilson. Javon was the grandson of my good friend, Congressman Danny Davis, and he was just 15 years old when he was shot and killed in Chicago. At the funeral, Javon's best friend remembered their talks. ``We were going to be the ones that never died . . . if we get shot, we were never going to die,'' he said. No child should grow up in a world where gun violence is so common that this talk seems normal. This week, we turn the page to a new Congress. There is no reason that commonsense measures like universal background checks, making gun trafficking a Federal crime, and reinstating the ban on military-style assault weapons should fall victim to partisan gridlock. Together, we have the opportunity to save lives and make our communities safer. This is a priority for me and my constituents, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make progress on reducing gun violence and building a safer future for all our children. ____________________
