Ted Budd: “I thank my friend from Georgia (Mr. Collins) for allowing me the time. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 8 and want to…”

“I thank my friend from Georgia (Mr. Collins) for allowing me the time. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 8 and want to lay out a couple of reasons for my opposition. Before I do, I think it is important to acknowledge how polarizing this debate has become over the last several years. More specifically, I want this body to know that, as a human being, as an American, as a father, when I see the heartbreaking news of a mass shooting like the one we saw just 54 weeks ago in Parkland, it just breaks my heart. With that being said, this bill that we are voting on today would not have done anything to stop that tragedy from happening, nor would it have prevented any of those recent mass shootings. The 19-year-old murderer in Parkland passed a background check. The man who murdered 26 innocent people at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs also passed a background check, although he wouldn't have if the Air Force had passed along his criminal information like they were supposed to have done. And the evil that took place in Sandy Hook wouldn't have been stopped by this bill either. The killer used his mother's guns to kill her and 26 others. They were bought legally. Mr. Chairman, the simple fact is that criminals don't abide by the law, and this would only create traps for law-abiding gun owners. However, there are actions that we can take, actions that we can do, that would make meaningful strides in combating the violence that we see today.…”