Rashida Tlaib: “Firearms are now the leading cause of death for our children in the United States. This is the reality that we are…”

“Firearms are now the leading cause of death for our children in the United States. This is the reality that we are living with, and it is one that we should refuse to accept. Every day, over 100 Americans are killed from gun violence and more than 200 people are shot and wounded. These are not just statistics, Mr. Speaker, they are human beings with lives and futures, with mothers, friends and loved ones. It is sickening that the NRA and the gun lobby have bankrolled many of my colleagues in this Chamber into silence and inaction on this issue. Many of these deaths involve the accidental discharge of a firearm, often by a child, including a number of recent tragic incidents in southeastern Michigan. Just this month, there was a horrific incident where a 2-year-old gained access to an unsecured gun and was tragically killed. It is alarming that 4.6 million children in our country live in homes with loaded and unlocked firearms. This is Gun Violence Awareness Month, and I am proud to introduce the Safe Storage Saves Lives Act with colleagues like Rosa DeLauro, Max Frost, and Robin Kelly to reduce firearm deaths among our children. This legislation requires every firearms seller to provide a gun lock or a gun safety device every single time that a firearm is sold in the United States. Far too often, Mr.…”