On the recordJune 8, 2022
After the mass shooting in El Paso in 2019, I received a letter from then 6-year-old Cal from Rowlett, Texas. He wrote: When kids get shot, that is less friends to play with. When I grow up I don't want to hear any more on the news about people being killed with guns. He was 6, and he had to write that to his Congressman. Today, just 3 years later, he is the same age as some of the kids murdered in Uvalde. I refuse to accept that there is nothing that we can do, and I refuse to say there is nothing we can do to protect kids like Cal or my sons in their schools. We have to act by passing commonsense measures, like raising the age to 21 to buy an assault-style weapon, banning high-capacity magazines, and increasing safe storage. That will save lives. This legislation, the Protecting Our Kids Act, will save lives. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' to help us save lives and for the Senate to finally act and to join us in trying to end this crisis.
