Providing for Consideration of H.R. Restoring Access to Medication Act of 2015
Floor Speech
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Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, the American people sent us here to solve problems. They sent us here to work together to help the American people.
Frankly, the American people are getting pretty frustrated. We noticed a little bit of frustration break out on the floor of this body 2 weeks ago, and they did that because, although we are hearing today about the consumer reigns supreme, the American people are afraid. They are afraid right now because you have to worry when you are praying in a church, when you are teaching or have your child in a first grade classroom, when you are playing in a park, walking down a street, or enjoying a Saturday night at a nightclub that a dangerous person with a gun may cut you down.
That is the most fundamental right we all have as Americans, our right to our very lives, and we have not been allowed the opportunity to even debate this matter in the 3\1/2\ years that I have been in Congress.
The time has passed. The time has passed for handwringing and for moments of silence. We have two bills. They are bipartisan bills. They will make a meaningful difference and save lives. We should call them up this week. The time is now.
If you are too dangerous to get on an airplane because you are dangerous to the national security of this country, you should not be free to buy an arsenal. We should pass no fly, no buy.
Fundamentally, we need to have expanded background checks on all sales of guns. None of this other legislation works. If we don't ask whether you are a dangerous, forbidden, prohibited person from buying a weapon, then even closing the terrorist watch list will be of no meaning because you can just go online, as so many Americans now do, and avoid the law.
It is our job to help fix problems and to make things right. We are not doing our job if we are not debating--much less even voting on-- legislation that will save lives. The time has come to act. The time is now: no fly, no buy this week; expanded background checks this week.
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