Political Quotes

“I thank Congresswoman Esty for her words, her commitment, and her voice in making sure that those 26 lives will never be forgotten. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and I have been reading names for nearly half an hour, and we still have stacks and stacks of names--the names of Americans taken by gun violence--to still read. And, tragically, every day the list of names grows and grows as we do nothing to stop it. Children are murdered in their kindergarten classroom and we remain silent. Mothers and their children are killed in Cracker Barrel parking lots and we still do not act. Hadiya Pendleton, a smart, charming, and talented young woman who performed at Barack Obama's inauguration has been resting for nearly 5 years. How much longer must she wait, Mr. Speaker? Country concerts, nightclubs, and even a congressional baseball practice have been shooting galleries, and the majority callously often calls for thoughts and prayers and moments of silence. Mr. Speaker, it is time to crawl out from under the gun lobby checkbook and do something--anything--to save American lives. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.”