On the recordDecember 14, 2017
On this day in 2012, we watched together in horror as news broke of a shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty innocent children and six brave educators were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School. In the 5 years since, this House has paused 40 times for moments of silence to recognize the victims of mass shootings. The names are now familiar: Emanuel AME, Pulse nightclub, Las Vegas, and Sutherland Springs. Since Newtown, there have been more than 1,700 mass shooting events, nearly one every single day. Across the country, there have been nearly 170,000 gun deaths--let me repeat that figure--170,000 gun deaths since Newtown. But in those 5 years, this House has taken no significant action to improve our gun safety laws. We are not debating universal background checks or restricting assault weapons or even banning the bump stock used 2 months ago in Las Vegas, the worst mass shooting in our history. I have met some of the parents of Newtown. We all grieve for them and their loss. But our moments of silence are not enough. The 26 who lost their lives deserve more. We must honor them with action. I urge this House to end the obstruction and finally consider legislation that would improve safety for all of our communities. ____________________
