Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce that I have just filed a discharge petition on the resolution providing for the consideration of H.R. 2403, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2023. Saturday, June 17, will mark 8 years since the massacre at one of the country's most historic churches, Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. That racially motivated attack took nine parishioners' lives and injured three others as they participated in a Bible study. It also exposed a loophole in our firearm background check system known as the ``Charleston loophole,'' that allows individuals to purchase firearms prior to an approval of their background check. Tragically, that very loophole enabled the gunman, who I might add was not eligible to purchase a firearm, to acquire a firearm and commit that horrendous act. The Brady Act mandates criminal background checks for all gun sales at licensed firearm dealers through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, NICS. Though most checks process within minutes, and 97 percent are completed within 3 business days, if NICS has not completed its background check in 3 days, regardless of the reason, the dealer can proceed with the firearm sale. In Charleston, just because a gunman's background check had not been completed within the 3 days, the shop had already sold the gun before he was deemed to be ineligible.…”