September 25, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 155 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages H7978-H7979]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1830
     GUN VIOLENCE IS A NATIONAL HEALTH AND NATIONAL SECURITY CRISIS

  (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, while we mourn those lost in these all-too-
frequent mass shootings, it is important to remember, while some cities 
suffer these tragedies occasionally, others suffer them daily.
  Every year, dozens of my neighbors are victims of shootings across my 
city. We need to stop looking at guns as simply a Second Amendment 
issue and address them as a national health and security crisis.
  Our people are dying, and we have the power to stop it.
  We have already taken similar actions in other industries when lives 
are threatened or lost. Automobiles are a safety risk, so we pushed for 
seatbelts and airbags. Smoking is a health risk, so we banned 
advertisement and vending machines to protect our children.

[[Page H7979]]

  That is why I am proud to support stricter background checks before a 
gun purchase and a ban on high-capacity magazines, which should only be 
available to trained American soldiers.
  But we must do more.
  Like me, many Members return to districts where gun violence is all 
too common and where it is rare to find a family that has not lost a 
member to this national menace.

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