Brian Higgins: “Illegally obtained guns are pouring over the streets of communities across the country, including in my community of…”

“Illegally obtained guns are pouring over the streets of communities across the country, including in my community of Buffalo, New York. These illegal guns are responsible for tragic deaths. Last year, 30,000 Americans, including 262 children, were killed by gun violence. The number of slain Americans are more than just statistics; they are real people: fathers, mothers, grandparents, sons, daughters, and grandkids. They had dreams, they had aspirations, and they had their whole lives ahead of them. This is an urgent call to action against gun violence. Members of my community are coming together and they are calling on Congress to repeal provisions that prohibit our government from knowing if firearms have been lost or stolen. Mr. Speaker, I support this call to action and urge this body to continue to work to make our communities safer for all. Those whose lives were lost would still be with us today if legislation this House passed, commonsense gun reforms, universal background checks, and a ban on assault weapons, were enacted into law. We must do better. Repeal the Tiahrt amendment now. ____________________”