Jack Reed: “I thank the Chair. Very briefly, this amendment is a very important one related to safety for children with respect to…”

“I thank the Chair. Very briefly, this amendment is a very important one related to safety for children with respect to firearms. There are more than 10,000 accidental shootings a year in this country, and many of these shootings result in the senseless deaths of children, and many of those accidental deaths do not fully take into account the violence because, in addition to that, there are many young people who tragically use a firearm to take their own lives. So we are looking at a situation where nearly 3,000 children, young people, die each year from gun-related injuries. And this recitation of numbers is not only grim but to all of us, I believe, unacceptable and particularly painful to families who must bear this terrible loss. This legislation is simple, straightforward, and effective. I must commend Senator Kohl for his authorship and for his persistence in pursuing this legislation. It mandates that a child safety lock device or trigger lock be sold with every handgun. Most locks resemble a padlock that locks around the gun trigger and immobilizes the trigger, preventing it from being used. These and other locks can be purchased for every gun for less than $10 and thus used by thousands of gun owners to protect their firearms from unauthorized use. This approach is supported by a huge number of individuals. In fact, this Senate has gone on record previously overwhelmingly supporting this amendment.…”