Donald M. Payne: “As the representative of New Jersey's Tenth Congressional District--which suffered one-third of the State's total gun…”

“As the representative of New Jersey's Tenth Congressional District--which suffered one-third of the State's total gun deaths last year--I know the destruction that gun violence inflicts, and I know how important it is that we do more to keep guns out of the wrong hands. Today we stand with the vast majority of the American people in support of a very simple principle: our gun laws should uphold and protect the freedom of all Americans--that includes responsible gun owners and those Americans trying to exercise their basic right to be free from gun violence. We stand with the vast majority of Americans who believe that, if you are too dangerous to fly, you are too dangerous to buy a gun; who believe that we need to keep guns from criminals, domestic abusers, and dangerously mentally ill individuals. Mr. Speaker, on this day of action, we renew our call for Republican leadership to give the American people a vote that is bipartisan in nature on gun safety legislation. We cannot continue to have the NRA stand for ``no Republican action.'' ____________________”