Niki Tsongas: “Last month I sat with parents who lost children to gun violence. There was such sorrow in the room. ``When I lost my…”

“Last month I sat with parents who lost children to gun violence. There was such sorrow in the room. ``When I lost my son, I lost myself,'' one mother said. Another said: ``Until we get these guns off the streets, the cycle is going to continue.'' As I listened to their stories, I heard again the tragic ways that gun violence so abruptly takes lives and devastates families and communities every single day, and I took to heart their message that too many weapons are too easily available. Preventing weapons from getting into the hands of terrorists, criminals, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill is common sense and essential to our security, and there are bipartisan bills in Congress right now that would do just that. Mr. Speaker, we should not be leaving town with such compelling unfinished business. We should be voting on commonsense, bipartisan legislation that keeps guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals. ____________________”