Jerry Nadler: “As we speak, thousands of young people from across the country are gathered outside to protest gun violence and to ask…”

“As we speak, thousands of young people from across the country are gathered outside to protest gun violence and to ask, to beseech, to demand that we take action. Mr. Speaker, we know what to do. We know that we ought to amend the law to provide effective background checks before people can purchase guns--not just background checks when you purchase from a licensed dealer, but background checks when you purchase a gun anyplace. We know that we ought to eliminate the 3-day limits so that, if they don't finish the background check within 3 days, you can't get your gun. We know that we should renew the assault weapons ban that was in effect from 1994 to 2004 so you can't buy military killing machines in this country for civilian use. We know we ought to ban the high-capacity magazines that can convert guns into killing machines for large numbers of people that have no other purpose. You don't hunt a deer with a high-capacity magazine. We know we ought to ban bump stocks, and we know the other things we ought to do. But we are, too many of us, cowards. We quell before the National Rifle Association. We know the fact is that it is guns in the hands of people that kill people. Compared to every other country in the world, every other industrial country in the world, we stand out like a sore thumb. If you look at other statistics, this country--Great Britain, 75 people killed by guns in a year; another country, 142.…”