Bill Lee: “First, let me thank the gentleman from New York for those very kind remarks. But also I want to thank you and…”

“First, let me thank the gentleman from New York for those very kind remarks. But also I want to thank you and Congresswoman Beatty for organizing this very important Special Order and for your tremendous leadership, Congressman Jeffries and Congresswoman Beatty, on ensuring public safety. Your leadership, both Congresswoman Beatty and Congressman Jeffries, has been bold, it has been visionary, not just as the result of the very recent tragedies but for many, many years even before both of you came to Congress. So it is an honor serving with both of you in this body. Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak this evening. Also, I want to just thank Congresswoman Robin Kelly, who is the vice chair on the Gun Violence Task Force. She also chairs the CBC's Health Braintrust. I thank you for your tireless work to ensure that gun violence is treated as a public health problem, which it is. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening with my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus to call on Congress to do something--to do something--about the epidemic of gun violence that is harming our communities. Since the start of the year--just 11 days ago--nine of my constituents have already become victims of gun violence, including an elementary school teacher and an innocent mother pushing her child in a stroller. Just this weekend alone my community suffered three gun homicides. My thoughts are with the victims' family at this very terribly difficult time. We have to do something.…”