Student Success Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. COTTON. Madam President, I will be brief. I wish to respond to what I heard earlier this morning from the Democratic leader and what we heard from the President on Sunday night.

The Democrats would have us believe that any person on a watch list can go and buy a firearm without any notice whatsoever. That is simply false. The background check system that federally licensed firearm dealers use includes a terrorist watch list, and the FBI counter-terrorism division is notified when that occurs. Of course, the list is notoriously inaccurate. A Department of Justice IG report just a few years ago said half of the names on the list are incorrect. The New York Times, which continues its proselytizing for gun control, used to be strongly opposed to the use of this list. Most famously, Ted Kennedy, a U.S. Senator from America's leading political dynasty, was on the list and couldn't get off for weeks, having his flights disrupted time after time. Stephen Hayes, a well-known conservative journalist who I admit looks a little suspicious, also found himself on the list. It took him months of public commentary, and he was only removed from the list when Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson was challenged on the news about him being on the list.

If it took Ted Kennedy and Stephen Hayes weeks or months to get off that list, how long would it take the little guy in Arkansas? For that matter, how long do we think it would take patriotic Muslim Americans who are on the list--most likely because of confusion about their names with suspected terrorists--to get off that list?

Moreover, what other rights would Democrats like to deprive American citizens of without notice and due process? Their right to free speech? Their right to practice their religion? Their right to petition their government? Their right to enlist unreasonable search and seizures? Their right to a trial by jury? Their right to confront their accusers? Their right to get just compensation when their property is taken?

Democrats should quit being so politically correct. They should focus on winning the war against radical Islam. If they did, maybe fewer Americans would feel the need to buy firearms to protect themselves from terrorist attacks.

I yield the floor.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source