On the recordJuly 5, 2016
Mr. Speaker, a little over a week and a half ago, my colleagues and I came to the House floor. We came to the floor to protest the inaction of this Republican Congress, the tyranny of the majority, to act on gun violence prevention measures--their deliberate inaction in the face of 33,000 deaths caused by gun violence every year. We came to demand substantive action to address our country's epidemic of gun violence. Yet, today we will be presented with legislation promoted by the NRA that fails to address this serious problem. H.R. 4237 does not close or otherwise address the terror gap that allows known or suspected terrorists in the United States to legally buy guns. Instead, this bill handicaps law enforcement, creating an impossibly burdensome process and allowing terrorists to take advantage of the Charleston loophole. In fact, H.R. 4237 doesn't just leave the loophole open, which led to the loss of nine lives at the Emanuel AME Church, it reinforces it and the terror gap. Under this legislation, to prevent the transfer of a firearm, the government will be required to file an emergency petition, schedule a hearing, provide the suspect with notice and counsel, and win the hearing all within 72 hours of the attempted purchase. And even if the government is able to win the hearing, it can only prevent the transfer if the court finds that the suspected terrorist committed, attempted to, or will commit an act of terrorism.…





