Richard Hudson: “Newtown, Parkland, Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, Charleston, the attack on our former colleague, Gabrielle Giffords…”

“Newtown, Parkland, Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, Charleston, the attack on our former colleague, Gabrielle Giffords, these are all tragedies that would not have been prevented by H.R. 8 or H.R. 1446. My colleagues across the aisle don't want to admit it, but every commercial gun sale in America already requires a background check. In Charleston, there was no loophole. The problem was information sharing. If the FBI had checked all available databases, then Dylan Roof wouldn't have been allowed to purchase a firearm. Congressman Tom Rice of South Carolina has a bill to fix that. Republicans are serious about ending gun violence and have brought forward policies that protect public safety without eroding our Second Amendment rights. That is why in recent years we have passed measures like the STOP School Violence Act, the Fix NICS Act, and 21st Century Cures Act. The bills before us this week would not build upon this progress but strips away from law-abiding citizens their rights. H.R. 8 would turn law-abiding citizens into criminals if you store a gun for a friend or loan a firearm to a neighbor with an abusive ex who wanted to borrow it for self-protection. Even worse, H.R. 1446 would extend the waiting period for a firearms sale from 3 to 10 business days and allow the government to delay a transfer indefinitely. Indefinitely, as in forever, if a government bureaucrat says so.…”