Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New York and the gentlewoman from Ohio for organizing tonight's Special Order to focus on the toll that gun violence has taken on communities across America and, especially, the disproportionate impact it has had within communities of color. Tonight's conversation comes at an important time. On average, every day more than 30 people are killed by firearms, many in mass murders. Now, rather than do what they say is celebrate the problem, I want to talk about solutions. Last Tuesday, the President announced the executive actions that his administration will take to prevent gun violence. I commend the President for taking this action, in light of the current congressional leadership's refusal to responsibly address this epidemic. These executive actions will ensure stronger enforcement of current laws and will reduce the number of lives lost to gun violence. To begin with, the President's executive actions will narrow the ``gun show'' and Internet loopholes by actually enforcing licensing requirements for gun dealers and overhauling the background check system to make it more effective and efficient. Under current law, only licensed gun dealers are required to perform criminal background checks for all gun sales, and only those individuals deemed to be ``engaged in the business'' of dealing in guns are required to obtain a license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the ATF.…”