Bill Keating: “My amendment doesn't delay or send back the underlying bill. It does, however, deny firearms transfers to international…”

“My amendment doesn't delay or send back the underlying bill. It does, however, deny firearms transfers to international domestic terror suspects. Mr. Speaker, before I came to this Congress I was a prosecutor. I was a district attorney. And under Massachusetts law, I was individually responsible for investigating every death in my district for foul play. Many times, I was at a violent crime scene where families had lost a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister, a mother or a father. Every time, I would meet with these families after these terrible tragedies, if not at the crime scene, then at the hospital, or at their home, or in my office. And what was the first thing I told them after telling them how sorry I was for this tragedy? I think every single person in this Chamber knows what I told them because I sincerely believe that every Member in this Chamber would say the same thing if they were in that position. I have come to know you, I have come to learn about you, and I sincerely believe that you would ask this very same question. That question is, if there is anything, anything at all that I can do for you, please let me know. There are few, if any, more helpless feelings I have ever felt in my life than during those moments. Never did I want to do so much, yet felt powerless to do so little.…”