Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule and in protest to the Republican leadership's failure to bring commonsense legislation to the floor to stem our Nation's tide of gun violence. In the wake of seemingly endless mass shootings, Americans of all backgrounds and diverse political beliefs are urging elected officials to stop merely wringing our hands and actually do something that protects our communities. One measure that has virtually unanimous support is background checks to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill. The problem is that our current background check system is rife with loopholes: background checks are not required at gun shows; they are also not required when individuals purchase weapons online. The bipartisan King-Thompson background checks bill would close these egregious loopholes. It is an entirely sensible reform that would have a measurable impact on the safety of our schools and neighborhoods without preventing law-abiding citizens from using guns for self- defense or for recreational purposes. I wholeheartedly reject the defeatist notion that we cannot do anything about our Nation's gun violence. I ask my colleagues: How much longer must we wait? How many more people have to die to get our attention? How many more American towns and cities must be added to the growing list of places like Columbine, Aurora, Charleston, and Newtown?…”