Chuck Schumer: “Mr. Speaker, if there is a word that describes this House today, it is ``shame.'' This is one of the most shameful days…”

“Mr. Speaker, if there is a word that describes this House today, it is ``shame.'' This is one of the most shameful days in the history of this House. Barely 18 months ago, we passed the assault weapons ban, a ban that saves lives every day. Who, who outside the sordid world of the Washington Beltway, could believe that we would repeal this law today? Yet, today, the Speaker, the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Gingrich] and the Republican majority opened fire on the ban. Who could believe that this Congress wants to put the Uzi's and the AK-47's, the MAC-10's and the TEC-9's and all the other killing machines, back on our streets? Newt Gingrich has bent his knee and is kissing the ring of the NRA, even though most of his own Republican colleagues know that this rash step is the wrong thing to do. No matter how big a debt the Republican majority owes the NRA, the overwhelming majority----”