Jon L. Christensen: “I stand up for the fact that this has tough mandatory sentencing for those criminals. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in…”

“I stand up for the fact that this has tough mandatory sentencing for those criminals. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the measure before us today. This legislation makes it clear that problem with guns in our society is not the guns but the felons who use them. While the most contentious debate today will be over the unnecessary ban on certain semiautomatic firearms, I have worked hard to make sure that this legislation would include another important provision. Section 5 of this bill will dramatically increase the penalties for possessing, brandishing, or discharging a firearm during the commission of a Federal felony. This section, which is similar to the Hard Time for Gun Crimes Act which I introduced last week, provides stiff mandatory sentences for anyone who commits a crime with a gun, with even stiffer sentences for those who discharge a firearm while committing a crime. This bill sends a clear message that we need to keep society's most violent felons behind bars. Americans have zero tolerance for violent crime, so our justice system should too. Our families and children should not be afraid to walk to school, go to the grocery store, and leave their windows open at night. I believe firmly that gun control is not crime control. Why would someone willing to commit murder respect gun control laws? Gun control, while often well-intentioned, has simply failed. We have over 22,000 gun control laws on the books today.”