On the recordFebruary 27, 2019
I just voted for H.R. 8, and I stand in support of H.R. 1112. It has been 1 year since Parkland. It has been 6 years since Sandy Hook. It has been 19 years since Columbine. It has been 25 years since the Long Island Rail Road massacre, when Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy lost her husband and her son was shot in the head. It has been 37 years since President Reagan was shot. Think of all the suffering that each of these shootings has caused. Think of the missing seats at the dinner table and other family events. Countless families have been torn apart because of gun violence, including that of one of my constituents, Linda Beigel Schulman. Linda's son, Scott, was one of the 17 innocent people who lost their lives in Parkland that day last year. Scott, a geography teacher and a cross-country coach, gave his life protecting his students. Scott died heroically while locking the door to his classroom, where students were hiding from the approaching gunman. Since that date, we have been pushing more and more for commonsense gun reform, and H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112 are just that. Last week, Linda said to me, ``If a universal background check prevents just one shooting, it has served its purpose.'' She inspires me. And I am inspired by my colleagues who are fighting for commonsense gun reform, whether they be Democrats or Republicans. ____________________
