Political Quotes

“one of most poignant moments of my life-- and certainly of my career here in the Senate--came in 2017, when a gunman opened fire on a Sunday service at the little Baptist Church right outside of Sutherland Springs, TX. Twenty-six lives were lost that day; 20 people were injured; and the entire community--that small, little community outside of San Antonio-- was shaken to its core by this hateful act. It didn't take us too long to learn about the shooter--a man with a record of domestic violence, animal cruelty, and mental illness. He had been court-martialed by the Air Force and convicted of serious domestic abuse, which is a felony. By law, the shooter should have been prevented from purchasing or even possessing a firearm, but he wasn't because the critically important information about his criminal background had not been uploaded into the relevant background check databases maintained by the FBI, even though a Federal statute clearly states that all Federal agencies are required to do so. As a result, the gunman was able to unlawfully purchase four firearms, three of which he used to carry out this despicable act. In the wake of any tragedy like this, you can't help but ask: What if? In this instance, it was our sad duty to ask those questions, but we knew the answer. If his criminal record had been uploaded into the FBI background check system, the shooter would have been prevented from purchasing these firearms that he used in the attack.…”