On the recordDecember 6, 2023
I thank Senator Schumer for his remarks. Imagine, if you will a family event that you look forward to each year. That was the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, IL. Highland Park, a leafy suburb of Chicago, is a wonderful community, truly a community. And every year on the Fourth of July, families ask their sons and daughters to put on that patriotic T-shirt, carry the little flag, stand out and enjoy this commemoration of the birth of the United States of America. Well, a little over a year ago, that Fourth of July parade became a terrible day for so many families. Last year, in Highland Park, IL, a shooter on a rooftop, with an assault rifle, was able to fire 83 rounds in 60 seconds--83 rounds in 60 seconds--killing 7 and wounding dozens before law enforcement could even identify where he was. One of those was a little 8-year-old boy, a twin, who will be unfortunately disabled for the rest of his life because of the injuries that he sustained. This mass shooting in my home State of Illinois was one of hundreds across America last year. Since 2020, the United States has suffered from over 600 mass shootings every year, almost 2 a day. I ask those who are listening to my remarks to reflect on one fact: There is no other country on Earth not engaged in active war where this type of killing occurs on a daily basis.…





