Tim Kaine: “I rise to echo the comments of my colleagues on these bills that are pending here in the Senate. I hold up the Calendar…”

“I rise to echo the comments of my colleagues on these bills that are pending here in the Senate. I hold up the Calendar of Business for the Senate for Wednesday, June 19, 2019, which is today. On page 15 of the calendar, item 29 is H.R. 8, ``An act to require a background check for every firearm sale.'' The status, which is listed in every Senate calendar, is ``Mar. 4, 2019.-- Read the second time and placed on the calendar.'' It is pending here before the Senate. The next item, No. 30, is H.R. 1112, an act to amend chapter 44 of title 18, U.S. Code, to strengthen the background check procedures to be followed before a Federal firearms licensee may transfer a firearm. On March 5, 2019, it was read the second time and placed on the calendar. In this body, we are not asking for something that isn't before us. No. The Senate calendar for today says these bills are before us. Yet one individual, the Senate majority leader, is keeping us from having a debate and a vote on these two matters. We could vote on it. Maybe we wouldn't have the votes, but we ought to be able to at least vote and be accountable to the American public for the positions on these issues. I rise in the shadow of yet another tragedy in Virginia. Every Senator in this body has had tragedies like these. I know the Presiding Officer has suffered multiple tragedies in Orlando and Parkland.…”