Rep. Lee Speaks on House Floor, Votes to Pass Sweeping Gun Control Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C.?– Congresswoman Barbara Lee voted to protect East Bay communities and save lives across the nation with a strong legislative package to address gun violence. The Protecting Our Kids Act includes common-sense gun safety measures that will crack down on illegal gun trafficking, keep weapons of war out of the hands of teenagers, strengthen safe gun storage, restrict access to untraceable “ghost guns” and more.
Her remarks in support of the legislation can be viewed here and are transcribed below.
“I rise in support of the Protecting Our Kids Act. Thank you to Chairman Nadler for bringing these bills to the floor. Gun violence is responsible for more than 32,000 deaths each year. This is a heartbreaking moment for so many of us. This is a public health crisis in our country. It's an epidemic. The victims of Buffalo and Uvalde, Tulsa, and other mass shootings, they -- they deserve more than our thoughts and our prayers.
“Last week, I met with young gun violence survivors in my district. They spoke powerfully about the cycle of violence and easy access to guns, especially ghost guns. And they talked about the trauma endured by themselves, their families, and their communities. And this is nothing new. This has been going on for so many years. And they're asking us to take action to save lives. This bill responds to their call by raising the age for purchase of certain firearms.
“All I want to say is, all of our children who have died due to gun violence, they had a right to live and they had a right to life. And so I urge all of my colleagues to vote yes and to take action so that we can save countless lives. Let's protect our kids. Thank you, again, Chairman Nadler.”
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. She serves as Co-Chair of the Steering & Policy Committee, former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chair Emeritus of the Progressive Caucus, Co-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Health Task Force, and Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus. She also serves as Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. As a member of the House Democratic Leadership, she is the highest ranking Black woman in the U.S. Congress.