Congressional Black Caucus Calls for Gun Safety Legislation

Floor Speech

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Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to be another voice on the epidemic of gun violence in our country.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida and the gentleman from Illinois for leading us in this Special Order hour. Certainly, to the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, we thank Congressman Steven Horsford for keeping this at the forefront of our agenda.

I will begin by saluting the actions of my colleague and friend, Congressman James Clyburn, for leading us in this charge tonight. Listening to him, I remember quite vividly, unfortunately, as I sat in that Charleston, South Carolina, church, the Emanuel AME Church, during the funeral of those killed.

Tonight reminds me of the far too many lives--children and adults-- taken by guns in the hands of a killer who should not have had that gun. You will hear it repeatedly, so I won't go through my entire address. Let me just highlight that gun violence continues to serve as a public health crisis.

I am horrified to see another devastating act of hateful gun violence in America. Let me join others in giving my thoughts and prayers to the families of the eight innocent people who lost their lives due to this tragic hate crime in Allen, Texas.

This story is not a new one, Mr. Speaker. We have seen this play out repeatedly. We are very clear that thoughts and prayers are not enough.

I am honored, again, unfortunately, to have to say that I am a colleague and friend of Congresswoman Robin Kelly, and early on, she sat in that front row and said to us that she would no longer stand up and give 60 seconds for someone who has lost their life, whether it was a mass shooting or whether it was a kid in a playground or a kid in a car. Enough is enough.

A few weeks ago, I stood in this same spot with the same microphone begging, Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues to do more than say to trust in God and let's pray for 60 seconds. Every time we say that, multiple lives are lost in our district.

There have been, as we heard earlier, more than 200 mass shootings in 2023. When will it end? How many lives must be lost? How many mass shootings must occur? How many times must we meet here on this floor for another Special Order hour or another moment of silence for families of the victims who have lost their lives?

Literally, I am standing here begging my Republican colleagues to join us in passing legislation that will help protect our communities.

I have nothing against the Second Amendment. My father was a hunter. I have been around guns all my life. It is not about that. It is about assault weapons. It is about those who should not be able to get a gun without being vetted, without being of proper age, without being able to go in a back alley or to a gun show to buy it. We need legislation like the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

We are coming tonight as Democrats with not just rhetoric and not just begging and pleading. We are giving you resolve and action. We need the first gun control action in decades that will advance more lifesaving measures like universal background checks, banning high- capacity magazines, red flag laws, and raising the age to buy assault weapons. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye.

Lastly, in my district alone, we have seen a number of lives being lost to gun violence. Over the weekend, three shootings across Columbus injured people, including multiple family members and officers. The American people are demanding action.

Mr. Speaker, I say to you: Let it not be about Democrats and Republicans. This is what the American people who elected us are asking us to do. Inaction, Mr. Speaker, should not be an action.

They tell us to direct all comments to you. You sit in the chair tonight. I am asking that when you leave this chair and go to your caucus, you have an obligation, I believe, to share with them what you have heard on this floor tonight and what your constituents have said to you.

I think if we have any conscience of doing what is right for the American people, we will put gun violence at the forefront of our agenda. We will put people over politics no matter what side of the aisle we sit on. We should come together to do the right thing.

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