On the recordSeptember 9, 2019
Madam President, I came to the floor, and I heard the Democratic leader talking, obviously, about some terrible incidents that occurred in El Paso, Dayton, and in Odessa. Since we were last in session, we have had two shootings in Texas, one in El Paso and one in Odessa. I confess that these are terrible tragedies that cause us to first ask the question ``Why'' and then cause us to ask the question ``What'': What can and what should we do to try to stop incidents like these in the future? I will remind the Democratic leader that we actually have a great template for bipartisan support for gun safety legislation, which is the bill we sent to the President last year called Fix NICS--NICS being the National Instant Criminal Background Check System that the FBI operates. For example, if you were convicted of a felony or dishonorably discharged from the military or you were subject to a protective order or you had been committed as a result of a mental health crisis, under existing law, all of these prohibit you from purchasing or possessing a firearm. But if the background check system doesn't work, it doesn't really count for much. I am proud of the fact that we came together on a bipartisan basis and passed this Fix NICS legislation by overwhelming margins. Anybody who is suggesting that we simply haven't done anything has a faulty memory, at the very minimum. I would also add that we have passed legislation that would enhance school safety.…
Source
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