Gun Violence Prevention Legislation

Floor Speech

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I have been on this floor yesterday and today, earlier this morning, to offer my sympathy to those who lost their lives and suffer in Boston and say that we are united with them. But this Congress now is proceeding on some important business, and I offer to my colleagues that we cannot wait to pass legislation on gun safety and gun violence prevention.

Homicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24. Homicide is the leading cause of death for many minorities in this country. 82.8 percent of young people who are killed are killed with a firearm. Every 30 minutes, a child or teenager in America is injured by a gun. Every 3 hours and 15 minutes, a child or a teenager loses their life to a firearm. And in 2010, 82 children under 5 years of age lost their lives due to guns.

We must respond.

I have introduced H.R. 65, which indicates prevention, or a system to prevent children from having access to guns. Children have accidentally shot themselves, shot their parents because guns have been accessible because we as adults have not been responsible.

As we work across the Houses, it is important to pass gun violence prevention legislation and do it now. It does not violate the Second Amendment.

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