Pass Gun Control Legislation

Floor Speech

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Today, Mr. Speaker, the other body has an opportunity to do what 90 percent of the American people would like us to do--to be prayerful and to come together to respond to the horrific siege of gun violence in America.

It is important to note that, on average, 13 young people from ages 10 to 24 are victims of homicide every day, and 82.8 percent of these youth are killed by a gun. 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 from a firearm. In 2010, 82 children under the ages of 5 lost their lives due to guns. To put that number in perspective, 58 law enforcement lost their lives.

And so today, we don't have to violate the Second Amendment. As I said, we can be prayerful. We can pass universal background checks--the same thing we do with registering our cars, getting licenses. This is a time for America to rise to our higher angels and do what our children need them to do. I ask the Senate to challenge its conscience and to vote for universal background checks to stop the violence.

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