Time to Act on Gun Violence

Floor Speech

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Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, Congressman Thompson, very much for his leadership and championing gun violence prevention in the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in demanding that Speaker Ryan allow us to vote on measures to prevent gun violence before we adjourn at the end of this week.

Last week, we watched in horror as 49 of our LGBT brothers and sisters had their lives cut short at the hands of a firearm. This is not the first terrible slaughter we have witnessed as a nation. These mass shootings continue as Congress does nothing to act and nothing to keep our constituents safe.

As an emergency physician, I have taken care of too many patients injured by guns. I have had the gut-wrenching experience of telling parents, families, and friends that their loved one was killed by a gun. I have taken care of people who have been victims--innocent victims--of drive-by shootings. I have taken care of victims who have been shot by their spouse in a domestic dispute. I have taken care of victims who have been caught as bystanders in a violent crime at a store, and I have had the terrible experience of having to tell a mother that her child--her young, adolescent child--was killed in the streets. It is not something that we can ever be fully prepared for but we do way too often in our country.

These are needless deaths--needless deaths--because there is an opportunity right here and right now to curb the trend of violence in our country. This gun violence must end.

This week, we are calling on the Speaker to allow a vote so our constituents know where exactly we stand. There are several bills out there that would make a difference, including the bipartisan King- Thompson no fly, no buy that keeps guns out of the hands of terrorists and expands and strengthens background check systems.

If we can't agree on the fact that terrorists should not get their hands on guns in our country, then it is a political shame on the parts that are beholden to political interests.

Let's vote on the Zero Tolerance for Domestic Abusers Act, which would prohibit individuals convicted of stalking or domestic abuse from purchasing or owning a firearm; and let's vote on the bipartisan Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act, another bill of Congressman Thompson, which would improve the criminal history records systems, which would help our law enforcement and which would mandate that all commercial gun sales utilize this background check system.

It is not like we don't have ideas. It is not like we don't have a path forward to curb gun violence in America. There is no one cure-all.

If we take a public health approach, if we reduce the risk of the multifaceted aspects of gun violence, then we will reduce the risk of gun violence. By reducing the risk of gun violence, we reduce the incidence of gun violence in America.

Let us vote so that terrorists and violent criminals cannot access firearms, so we can prevent another Orlando. Let us vote to end gun violence to keep the American people safe.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in calling for no bill and no break.

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