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[Page H9226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SECOND AMENDMENT WEEK
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Kansas (Mr. Marshall) for 5 minutes.
Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, this week is Second Amendment Week in our
office to celebrate our God-given right to keep and bear arms.
Each year at the start of the hunting season, I can't wait to get out
in the field and enjoy one of my very favorite pastimes. Hunting is an
American tradition shared across generations; and this Thanksgiving
weekend I was able to sneak away with my oldest son to go duck hunting
near our home in Great Bend.
Mr. Speaker, I have to tell you, I have never seen so many ducks. The
folks at D.U., all the conservation groups are doing an incredible job.
Many Kansans use firearms for hunting, but also, in many of our most
rural parts of the State, carrying a firearm can be the difference
between life and death. In over 70 counties in Kansas, the closest law
enforcement officer is often 30 minutes to an hour away; and, thus, you
may need a firearm to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your
property.
In both rural and urban areas, many Kansans responsibly open or
conceal carry on a daily basis for self-defense. Many more Kansans keep
a gun for home defense as well, maybe locked away in a master bedroom
or in a safe down in the basement.
Whether it be a handgun, rifle, or shotgun, whatever a citizen's
firearm of choice, the right to defend ourselves must not be infringed
upon. As I represent Kansas in Congress, I remain staunchly opposed to
any laws restricting what kind of firearms a law-abiding citizen can
buy or keep in their possession.
Any politician trying to implement mandatory buyback programs, which
I really call gun confiscations, or unconstitutional red flag laws in
Congress will be met with a groundswell of opposition because these
types of laws violate our Second Amendment rights.
In Congress, we need to keep fighting for programs that address the
underlying cause of gun violence, which is mental illness, to reach out
to those who are struggling so they can get the proper care and
attention early so they don't fall through the cracks and harm
themselves or others.
We also need to make sure our existing background check system is
working properly to continue to prevent tragedies, while not infringing
on the rights of mentally stable, law-abiding citizens.
The solutions to preventing gun violence can be found at dinner
tables, in our churches, and in our communities. Individually, we must
practice and promote responsible gun ownership while collectively
ensuring every law-abiding citizen's Second Amendment right is upheld
with due process.
Gun ownership and hunting have been a tradition for my family and for
this great land for many generations, each one passing on their
knowledge and skills to the next. That is our way of life in Kansas. We
must continue to uphold it and our constitutional right to keep and
bear arms for the purpose of self-defense and individual freedom.
Pass USMCA Now
Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, today marks more than 1 year since
President Trump signed the USMCA trade agreement, and it is still
collecting dust on Speaker Pelosi's desk. That is an entire year that
Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats have made Kansas businesses, farmers,
ranchers, and workers wait.
There is no excuse for holding up this trade agreement, which is
expected to create 176,000 jobs across America and deliver a $70
billion boost to our United States economy. In Kansas, it would mean
thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars. This agreement
will make us stronger in our next trade negotiations with China as
well.
With all due respect, Speaker Pelosi, there are no more excuses. It
is time. Let's deliver a win for our economy and pass USMCA now.
Impeachment is All About Politics
Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, this week, House Republicans produced our
report showing specific facts that dismantle the Democrats' claims on
impeachment. This evidence shows:
Number one, President Trump has a deep-seated, genuine, and
reasonable skepticism of Ukraine due to its history of pervasive
corruption;
Number two, the evidence does not establish that President Trump
pressured Ukraine to investigate Burisma Holdings, Vice President Joe
Biden, Hunter Biden, or Ukrainian influence in the 2016 election for
the purpose of benefiting him in the 2020 election; and
Number three, the evidence does not support that President Trump
covered up the substance of his telephone conversation with President
Zelensky by restricting access to the call summary.
Speaker Pelosi previously said that the conditions for impeachment
must be ``overwhelming'' and ``bipartisan.'' Currently, there is only
bipartisan support in opposition to impeachment.
I guess the facts really don't matter, and Democrats moving forward
show that this is all about politics.
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