James T. Callahan: “To those of us, Mr. Speaker, who are not famous on the floor of this House for voting for any gun control measures, we…”

“To those of us, Mr. Speaker, who are not famous on the floor of this House for voting for any gun control measures, we could have a strategy where the longer an offensive bill stayed in the conference, the better off we are. Yet, I am in a position of double jeopardy. I support what the gentleman is saying with respect to effective enforcement of gun safety laws within the scope of the conference, and commonsense gun safety measures. I support that. But this does not compel the conferees, as I understand it, to comply with the gentleman's request. It just simply says, reach a compromise and report back to this House some gun safety law. I am afraid that if indeed the conferees are inclined, they might bring something back to the floor that is so offensive to me that I might have to vote against it, which is all right. That is my prerogative. But at the same time, I am really giving up the position that I am in now, where I know as long as it stays in conference, it is not going to be offensive to me.”