Witnesses on the impact of guns in their lives, the effect on communities, and what steps could be taken to curb gun violence. This is just over an hour and a half. We are here today because 203 days ago, the house passed bipartisan gun violence prevention legislation and the u. S. Senate has done nothing. After every mass shooting that makes the headlines, leader mcconnell says it is too soon to talk about policy. Unfortunately, there have been more Mass Shootings this year than there have been days in the year. If we wait for a day without gun violence to talk about it, we will be waiting forever. The Senate Leader mcconnell hopes that if he waits this out, it will just go away. Well, we are not going away. We are not going to go away because children are dying and the trauma is scarring an entire generation. Week, 500 children under the age of 11 have been killed or injured by someone using a gun. Over 2000 kids between the ages have been killed or injured by someone using a gun. Almost every child in america has experienced in active shooter drill. Schools are now being designed to give kids hiding places because congress refuses to act. This is shameful. We are here today to call on the senate to act on hr eight, because our children are dying and the generation of kids is scared to go to school or a concert or to church or to a festival. It does not have to be like this. Senator mcconnell has called himself the grim reaper. He was referring to a legislative graveyard. Sadly, that legislative graveyard is leading to more real graveyards. People are dying. Children are dying. Unacceptableion is senate inaction is unacceptable. Up a vote on put hr eight. I will introduce the panelists you will hear from. Use panelists will have four minutes to make your presentation. Anything else you would like to give us, we will take and make available to all of the members and it will be put in the record. After that, i will recognize the members of her four minutes each for them to ask their questions. Colleagues, a reminder that your four minutes will be allotted for your questions or statements and the panelist responses. Hard out and must close this forum no later than 2 00, or as early as when votes are called. First witness, and this will be the order in with you a leading expert on the topic of gun violence and Extensive Research on the topic. Destiny is a youth leader and active member of students demand action. She is from baltimore and has been exposed to gun violence since the age of seven. Ray mcmurray is the secretarytreasurer of the American Federation of teachers and taught in Public Schools for 18 years and is a gun owner. Leslie boggs is the national Parentteacher Association president. She is a mother, a grandmother, and a child advocate. Colonel edwin is the chief of police in fairfax, virginia and is a member of the mayors city chiefs association. Thank you for being here. And doctor, well start with you. Mr. Chairman and members, thank you. Im a practicing emergency medicine physician and director of the university of California Firearm Violence Research center. Firearm violence is among americas most salient Health Problems. In the 10 years ending 2017, civilian fatalities from firearm violence and i include both suicide and homicide here civilian fatalities from firearm violence exceeded american combat fatalities in world war ii. Firearm homicides and suicides are both increasing, homicide by 32 by 2014, suicide by 41 since 2006. Mass shootings are changing the character of americas public life. We think twice before we venture into public spaces the mall, the movie theater, our place of worship. We make escape plans. We wonder if it is safe to bring our children. And indeed, children are at risk. In that same 10year period, we lost 14,313 children under the age of 18 to firearm injuries. Firearmrelated deaths among American Children has increased by 44 from 2013 through 2017, an increase of 11 per year. Comprehensive or universal background check policies receive extraordinarily high levels of support from the american public. We learned just last week that nearly 90 of us support comprehensive background checks with differences of less than 5 Percentage Points between gun owners and nonowners and between democrats and republicans. There is little question, but the background checks and denials of reduce risk of denials of purchase among highrisk persons reduce risk of violence among the individuals whose purchases are denied. However, carefully conducted research has often not found a population level impact on firearm violence. Violence of comprehensive background check policies. This poses a paradox. How is it that a policy that is effective on the persons directly affected seems not to have a population wide benefit . The answer can be found in significant flaws in the design implementation of comprehensive background checks and policies up to this time. There are nine important problem areas. I will just mention one of them today. Consider the public Mass Shootings in sutherland springs, texas, charleston, south carolina, and Virginia Tech university. The shooters in all those cases were prohibited from purchasing firearms. They were nonetheless able to do so because background checks did not identify them as prohibited. The necessary information was simply missing from the data. Underreporting appears to be underreporting of prohibiting events appears to be widespread, such that there seem to be many thousands of persons who are prohibited but whose prohibitions will not be detected by background checks if they seek to purchase firearms. And as you know, reporting of these data by state and local agencies is voluntary. That said, the situation has improved. Several of the studies, including those by our group, suggesting a lack of population will benefit from these policies were conducted by 15, 20 years old or more. Similar studies conducted on more recent data would yield positive results. And fortunately, very detailed information on the shortcomings and on recommendations for their improvement has been compiled under the auspices of the bureau of justice statistics. A summary of this information will be appearing in the peerreviewed scientific Journal Health affairs in two weeks. Optimistic that a properly implemented system of background checks would do much to reduce rates of firearm purchases by prohibited persons and reduce rates of firearm violence. Thank you. Thank you very much. Destiny . Good afternoon. What do you see when you look at me . My name is destiny, and i am a 19yearold nonbinary person from baltimore, maryland. I am currently enrolled in the Baltimore City community college, where i major in english and minor in political science. I became a victim to gun violence when i was seven years old. Violence when i was seven years old. At the age of nine i saw my first dead body. This has been the norm in my life since birth. I have been plagued with the generational curse of normalized gun violence. I have lost five friends to guns this year alone and over a dozen in my lifetime. Not as aore you today statistic of youth in baltimore, but rather a pillar for the voices of lack and brown youth who have been black and brown youth who have been disproportionately affected by the lack of regulation of guns in our community. In maryland, firearms are the leading number one cause of death among children and teenagers. And lackeys are five times more likely than their white peers to die by guns. Four people, including three teens, were involved in a quadruple shooting that left my friend dead. According to the baltimore sun, as of this month there have been over 222 reported firearm homicides in 2019. 11 under the age of 18. As a youth that has lived with the plague of gun violence, it i sit before you today to say it is impossible to combat gun violence without addressing the root causes of this issue that stem from economic injustice and institutionalized racism. Gun homicides, nonfatal shootings, and exposure to gun violence reflect this countrys longstanding racial inequities, but the reality is the media is carrying on a century long narrative of criticizing and demonizing poor black and brown communities. This same narrative has been used as an excuse to justify mass incarceration and the terrorism black and brown folk experience at the hands of police in our colonized neighborhoods. Instead of addressing the root causes of intercommunal violence, such as patriarchy, capitalism, colonialism, imperialism and manufactured poverty, to name a few, in dealing with the government and corporations, Mainstream Media asserts that black and brown people are the problem. Policy decisions, including a history of housing discrimination and redlining have resulted in segregating neighborhoods in black and latinx communities. Black people are disproportionately more likely to be victims of gun violence. Violence is made worse with the access of illegal guns. We cannot continue to criminalize black and brown youth for socalled tough on crime bills to add to mass incarceration. A federal background law would prohibit people from buying guns by requiring background checks run gun sales. State laws requiring background checks for all handgun sales are associated with the 48 lower trafficking in cities and a 29 lower rate of gun trafficking across state lines. We cant forget that suicide with a firearm makes up 2 3 of gun violence. For suicide attempts not involving a firearm, but for gun firearm, less than 5 will result in death, but for gun suicides, more than 85 will result in death. Every day, future leaders are taken from us. My friend describes losing someone to suicide is an unbearable pain, an comparable incomparable to anything she has ever felt before. Gun violence steals mothers, fathers and sisters and brothers. When connecticut passed a law buyersng all handgun pass a background check as part of the sale and the permit process, there was a 15 reduction in the suicide rate. I am proud that the house has passed these two common sense gun safety bills, now the senate must act. If we implement back grouped if we implement background checks, it could save lives. It could have served ray, aaron, milton, and manny, but we waited too long and families and communities have to pay the price. My story is hard to swallow, but this is the reality that my Community Faces every day. I dont want your pity, though. I want you to act. Thank you. Thank you so much, and we are really sorry for your personal loss. Mr. Mcmurray. Chairman thompson and other representatives, thank you for inviting me to this important event. My name is ray mcmurray, i represent teachers, professionals, and support personnel in texas. I am secretarytreasurer of the texas American Federation of teachers and i taught in the Texas Public School system for 18 years. During those years and since, i have seen the impact of gun violence on students and educators, from the shocking and gruesome columbine experience to what seems like countless episodes of lives being mowed down in cold blood. Educators, students, and Community Members have seen their schools turned into Violent Crime scenes and war zones in terrifyingly up terrifyingly unacceptable ways. In my home state recently, we witnessed domestic terrorism at the hands of a White Nationalist perpetuating a hate crime, resulting in mass murder. Later, Police Officers and innocent citizens were killed cruelly and unnecessarily at the hands of a sick individual who should not have been able to access a firearm. A. F. T. Colleagues from Douglas High School in florida and sandy hook in connecticut and countless schools across the nation where gun violence does not make the nightly news agree that the trauma and anxiety gun violence creates will simply not vanish, nor will it be stopped with Bumper Sticker gimmicks calling for arms teachers. More must be done. More must be done now to provide Mental Health supports to students who have experienced trauma. More must be done to invest in programs Like Community schools, peer counseling, wellness programs, and schoolwide practices to reduce bullying behavior. And more must be done to prevent dangerous individuals from buying firearms. Congress can help or continue to do little or nothing, further allowing children across this country to live in fear of gun violence. We must work to pursue and implement Commonsense Solutions to reduce violence. One of those most Commonsense Solutions is expanding the background check system. The system stopped the shooter in el paso from arming himself in 2014, and expanded background Check Systems might have stopped him from buying the arms he used to slaughter texans last month. I know members of congress before me here today have already helped to pass legislation out of the house of representatives. So really, when i say Congress Needs to do something, im speaking to my home state senators. Every elected official in this country takes an oath to protect and to defend its people. But too many have fallen down on the job and we demand they do better. My senators need to understand that our teachers refuse to believe that nothing can change. We will continue to demand that thoughts and prayers be met with policy changes, and we will hold accountable every single legislator who stands in the way. It is time for senators cornyn and cruz to exhibit true leadership. Leadership on this issue. Commonsense, rational policy changes that can reduce the chances of guns getting into the hands of the wrong people while still protecting the integrity of the Second Amendment. For the record, i am a seventh generation texan. My family has roots in the texas revolution. I do firmly support the Second Amendment as an integral part of the bill of rights. I am a gun owner and a concealed permit carrier and holder in the state of texas. However, i know that my Second Amendment rights are not threatened by expanded, individual background checks. Tore is a half forward better protect our society and i am here to ask the senators from texas to get it right. We appreciate your service. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Ms. Boggs . Thompson, vice chair, and all members of the Gun Violence Task force, thank you for the opportunity to speak here today and for the Task Force Leadership since 2012 to push for legislative action to reduce gun violence in our country. Im here today on behalf of. T. A. , the nations largest Child Advocacy organization, with members in all 50 states, d. C. , the u. S. Virgin islands, puerto rico and europe. No parent should fear for the safety of their child every time they leave home for school or anywhere else. And no child should live in fear every day, wondering if this is the last day they will see their family. Since 2013, there have been 471 incidents on school grounds. Thousands of children across this great country have been a victim or witness to gun violence in their homes, schools or communities. At p. T. A. , we have issued so many statements on Mass Shootings at schools. Schools over the years that we now keep a draft on file at all times. In every statement, we remind the nation that our students deserve to have a safe environment in which to learn and thrive. In every statement, we urge congress to do more. Now is time to act. Doing nothing is unacceptable. This august, i published an op ed asking congress to enact to return from its summer recess, to enact commonsense proposals such as passing red flag laws, universal background checks, funding for gun Violence Research and banning assault weapons, all of which a majority of americans support. Unfortunately, congress chose not to return to d. C. This summer to address this epidemic. So i am here again, asking for change on behalf of children and our families. Universal background checks can and will save lives. This commonsense measure would have saved seven lives and prevented injuries to 25 people in my home town of odessa, texas. It would have prevented traumatic injuries to anderson, a 17monthold daughter of our assistant pastor, kelly. Anderson is a toddler, the only pain she should have known is from scraped knees when she was learning to walk. Instead, little anderson was shot through her bottom lip and tongue and lost all of her front teeth because a man was able to purchase a semiautomatic rifle thanks to a loophole in our federal gun laws. Kelly was just going about her typical saturday afternoon errands when anderson was shot in the back seat of her car. As a mother and grandmother myself, i cannot imagine the fear that she felt in that moment. When her daughter was shot, her other child sat in the back seat next to her, horrified. Kelly did everything to do to toeverything she could do protect her twins, but nothing to prevent her baby from being shot by a man with a gun who should never have had the gun in the first place. I have heard the arguments that no matter what you do or what laws you pass, there will be those who break them. I get it. You can make that argument with speed limits. People break them every day, but does that mean we dont need them . No. They prevent accidents and save lives. We need speed limits just like we need universal background checks. So my question today is, do our elected officials, including our president , value our nations children and families enough to put a law in place to protect them the best that it can or will they continue to do nothing . To be clear, national p. T. A. Is not about taking away an individuals Second Amendment right. What we are about is ensuring there are laws that eliminate the current background check loopholes for gun shows, private sales, and online sales. My husband was a former Police Officer in texas and every member of my family is a gun owner. Gun ownership is not the issue here. The issue is the ease of access to firearms and assault weapons, especially for those who are a danger to themselves and others. Our organization is so appreciative of passage of h. R. 8, which our association endorses. Now it is the senates turn to act. Last week, i urged senator mcconnell to bring senate bill floor to facilitate its passage in the senate. To address our nations gun violence epidemic and protect our children and family. The senate needs to pass and the president must sign this bill is as a reasonable first step to addressing gun violence in our country. Thank you so much for this opportunity. Mr. Thompson thank you very much. Colonel, you are recognized for four minutes. Good afternoon chairman and task force members, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak. Im here today not only as the chief of police of fairfax county, virginia, but a member of the major chiefs City Association and more importantly, as a parent of three children that are productive Community Members in our society. I urge all of us to make sure that our representatives take action to combat the Mass Shootings and the gun violence in our country. These tragic events are plaguing profoundly plaguing our nation and cutting short precious human lives, especially the young people of our communities. I submit this plea to you on behalf of the Major City Chiefs Association, the brave officers that we lead throughout this nation that serve our communities. As a chief of police of fairfax county, i am proud that my county of every major jurisdiction in the u. S. Is the safest place to live, work, play, and grow old. Present gun violence is in fairfax county, and i wanted to start with two examples from the recent year. , unrelated toes each other but the same. A young mother takes a firearm and killed her two young children, and then uses the gun as a mechanism to have death by suicide. One in mclean, virginia, one in great falls, virginia. Unacceptable. Stop, anda needs to the Major City Chiefs Association and the American People have looked to the United States congress and the white house for many years to take a leadership role in passing commonsense measures to keep firearms in the hands of lawabiding americans and out of the hands that those hands of those who would do harm to our families, friends, neighbors, and everyone we love in our communities. We urge you in the strongest possible terms to immediately act to reduce the trauma of the everyday gun violence and the slaughter of innocent people during what feels like a never ending episode of Mass Shootings ,n our country, in our schools entertainment venues, places of worship, businesses and homes. Fought forported and legislative initiatives that would help us keep our communities safe, but for too long, politics and special have stood in the way of lifesaving actions. The majors city chiefs hrociation strongly supports eight, requiring background checks for every firearm sale. But we believe this is just the start of what needs to be done. We call on congress to move broad legislative response and call on congress to support this effort. The Major City Chiefs Association joins the voices of millions of americans who demand universal background checks, red flag or extreme risk measures, a ban on highcapacity magazines and a host of other comments of legislation that will our communities. Additional research is conducted on gun violence and Mass Shootings, we have begun to view this violence as a Public Health issue, not just a Law Enforcement issue. This is broadened into the thinking of other strategies that can be employed to combat gun violence in our communities. Action aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of people with intent to do harm is needed now. Requiring universal background checks is a good start. Access to firearms through age restrictions, safe storage requirements, and extreme risk laws will build upon hr eight. The Major City Chiefs Association has long supported other measures that would combat gun violence. We thank you for this effort and we also appreciate the effort of the alcohol, tobacco, and firearms agents throughout this country, and hr eight will help all of us in Law Enforcement collectively work with our advocates and our Community Members to make america safe from gun violence. We share these recommendations with you and also, understand there are critics of hr eight. We tell you that universal background checks will not stop gun violence. The fact is, it will stop some gun violence. Strategy thate will stop unlawful killings by firearms in our country. However, combining a number of legislative initiatives, we can go a long way in our ability to save lives, just like the lives of those for young children. Thank you. Thank you very much, colonel, and thank you for being a cop. Seven years ago, this task force was established by then leader pelosi because congress would not do anything about gun violence. They would not hear our bills, they would not give us a vote, they would not have us a hearing , absolutely nothing. So leader pelosi created this task force. Today, Speaker Pelosi has been on the tip of this year, making sure we passed sensible, proSecond Amendment gun violence prevention laws to keep our communities safe. I would like to recognize the speaker for a statement. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. Your work as chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task force and the distinguished leadership you have contracted as your cochairs and other members are making a difference in our country. 90 of the American People , or commonsense background check legislation. I appreciate the testimony of witnesses today. Atapology for not being here the start, the speaker has to open the house at 12 00 noon and greet our visiting chaplain. But i have read your testimony,. Nd i appreciate what you said Mass Shootings are changing the character of americas public life. Thank you for framing it in that way as we challenge both congress and the president to do more. Hear your testimony, and it is so sad that you have lost friends, five friends, maybe more in terms of injury, but five friends. Thompsons the need to pass universal background checks. He is joined in that by congresswoman kelly, who has been a champion on saying, while our hearts break and we mourn and we want to act upon the high profile event that have taken lives in our country, we must remember that every single day , we must remember that every single day in our cities and across the country, we lose young people to gun violence. I think mr. Phillips, a newlywed, for taking the time just married this weekend but this was very important for him to be here. Bobby rush has been a victim of gun violence in his own family the list goes on for some of our distinguished members who consider this a highest priority. I also want to acknowledge the mcmurray mr. Has talked about to insure domestic tranquility. Yesterday was the birthday of our constitution. Yesterday was the birthday, its ratification. Thet, as you quote in beautiful preamble, to ensure to ensure domestic tranquility and provide for the common defense that is our purpose. Lets get it done. I thank you for that. Also, ms. Boggs, thank you. Yes, we did call on the president to call upon the senates to come back in the summer and pass hr eight. Our house members were prepared to markup bills in committee until the hurricanes came on the east coast, so now they have already marked them up, First Priority back. Thank you to the pta for what you are saying. The question we are asking today to elected officials, including our president , do you value our nations children . Let me just say this. On sunday marked 200 days since we sent the legislation, hr eight, to the president excuse me, to Mitch Mcconnell. To the senate. Theership are and i called president on sunday and we said, 200 days. 100 people a day on average. 47 of them children and teenagers. Please encourage the Republican Leadership in the senate to take up this bill and sign this legislation to save lives. Toce it was sunday, i said the president , as always, i pray for you, i pray for your family and your safety, and i also pray that your heart will be open to protecting the families, other families in america. Other children in america whose lives are at stake, at risk in the cultural change that we have in our country. Pleased toi was so see the major cities chiefs association, your testimony here today, colonel, but also the letter you sent earlier so that we could say Law Enforcement, teachers, health care providers, doctors,g people, health care providers, as i mentioned, all support this measure. Un owners, 90 90 . The president , some of his advisers say, well, it will hurt politically. When the survival of one political person is not worth the survival of our children, and they have to know that. I thank you for your testimony. The president said he will let us know what he decides. I said you understand, we are not going away. We are not going away until the job is done. We are going to kick open the door with hr eight, the timing issue, there are more things we can do. But what would save the most lives in the shortest period of time right now would be to pass hr 8, 11, and 12. We hope the president will give a positive sign to doing that. Understand, your power, your was itny supports you, mr. Mcmurray, about hopes and prayers or whatever . Mr. Thompson has declared himself a very prayerful person, but we have to act. And we cannot use hopes and prayers as an excuse for not acting. , your generosity of spirit, for taking the time to make the case, to strengthen case, and i think the chairman. I think the chairman. Thank you. Members will be recognized for four minutes to question the witnesses. Well start with mr. Phillips. Next thank you mr. Chairman, madam speaker, the task force colleagues and to our witnesses, thank you for being here today. You used the word normalized in your testimony, and i want to let you know, we cannot and will not let gun violence in america become normalized. And we cannot and will not let the majority leader of the United States senate obstruct the will of the American People. And franklydened appalled that we even have to have a hearing like this today, but it is a beginning and i am grateful to all of you for being here. Know, i cant believe we now live in a country where our children have to be subject to active shooter drills in schools , and i do not believe we live in a country where parents have to consider buying their children bulletproof accpacs to go to school. Parents. F those a father of two daughters, now in college. The fact that i have to think about them when they go to a concert, when they go to a store, or when they go to their college classroom, that is something i will not tolerate. My first question to you is to mr. Mcmurray, ms. Boggs. And you talk to us about the psychological toll on the health, wellbeing, and academic achievement that just the fear of gun violence in schools is having amongst children and also teachers . Thank you for the question. As i mentioned before, we had a shooting in my hometown, so i am witnessing firsthand what we are experiencing in our schools and how it is impacting them and the students that they serve and the families they serve. I have a goddaughter that goes to middle school, and she used to walk home to her grandmothers every day, it is two blocks away from the school. She no longer can do that any longer because the fear and the trauma she has felt by witnessing the shooting that happened in her community, she no longer feels safe. So when you asked me how children and families see, you not only see students that are now afraid and question everything that happens within and around their schools, but you also see parents who are no longer able to walk up to a school to retrieve their children. They are keeping them in auditoriums and call them out to the cars because they are fearful of what might happened in their communities might happen in their communities. I see lockdowns happening. Asee schools that are more of fortress, prison, then a welcoming environment to thrive in and to learn. This as happening across the country drivein and to learn thrive in and to learn. This is happening across the country. This will effect is not just when a mash suiting happenings affect us not just when a mass shooting happens, but for years to come. Im disheartened that we have the opportunity to create change, yet we are still battling this change. Thank you for the question. I did teach and coach in the Texas Public School system for many years, and i remember the day when columbine happened. I was in texas and that was in colorado. But that unleashed a generation of students that i think were exposed and have been exposed to a level of violence and distrust where they are growing up in a whole different set of circumstances. I remember the day i walked into say,classroom when you you look those students in the eye and you have to talk about that. You have to address what just happened. I did not know it was going to happen over, over, and over again over the next 15 to 20 years. But that day, i remember looking at my students for the first time, and it was no longer about just me and those students, what we were learning and the culture of being and educating, academic environment. Having to deal with those kinds of issues and then wonder now with the student, what is under that coat or jacket . It changes the dynamics of what we are producing and who we are, what we are about. What does it mean to be an education, Academic Institution . What we are teaching our kids . All of that is fundamentally changed. Miss kelly, you are recognized for four minutes. Thank you, mr. Chair. According to the National Center for injury prevention and control, more than 40,000 men, women, and children die from gun injuries. The chicago area faces shootings daily, as you heard. More thanhicago has 330 homicides from gun violence and i am sure it is edging towards at least 1800 shot with already 24 homicides in the month of september. A recent study on gun violence found that the loss of quality of life, psychological and , decline trauma de in Property Values and the legal consequences cost an estimated 174 billion, with the government absorbing 12 billion in cost. These funds should be an investment in communities, providing more Economic Opportunities for the youth and strengthening policecommunity relations. The cost of gun violence and the lack of Economic Opportunity does not just hurt our families, it creates a void that is often filled with negative and sometimes violent behavior. Last congress, i introduced the urban progress act, that would help fill the void in Economic Opportunity, strengthen policecommunity relations and promote common sense gun violence prevention policies. One additional area to explore that systematically addresses gun violence, as my college to increase, is Mental Health access for those who have been affected by traumatic experience around gun violence. Ant to ask miss destiny about heri perspective. In my testimony, i spoke on a generational curse. Around that generational curse comes generational trauma. There is a quote that especially in baltimore and cities like chicago, we have broken people raising broken people. I wants to emphasize that, because baltimore is not a bad place. It is just broken. Gun violence, i feel like it is ignored to the extent where we are trying to find one solution, and there is no one solution to every problem. Tothe only true recourse stem and prevents violence in black communities are to implement resources within those communities that they lack and like representative robin kelly was talking about, trauma informed resources are greatly needed within our school systems. So back to the broken people raising broken people, it is a cycle of reoccurring trauma and so for me, i have dealt with trauma. I have lived trauma. So without the proper help and necessities to therefore treat that trauma, then i begin to implement trauma on to other people. Was was not a person who seen in myself and my mind, i could therefore cause trauma to something someone else. That is how the cycle continues. We make schools trauma informed and provide Services Within the schools, we can decrease the amount of violence that happens within those schools and communities. I wanted to get a question to the doctor is there any specific data targeting urban communities on physical and mental trauma, care, best practices to curb gun violence that we see across urban communities . Specific toare not urban communities, but we do know the consequences of experiencing violence with a firearm are more serious and more longlasting than are the consequences of experiencing violence with some other weapon or with no weapon. Firearms are different. Ok, thank you. Just for the record, colonel, background checks will help. Yet they will, a great start. Thank you. Ok. Thank you. Mr. Rush, you are recognized for four minutes. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Month in october, thats the 20th anniversary of the killing of my son on the streets of chicago. He was shot down in a morning robbery attempt and 20 years hear thecan still. Queals of his mother that primal scream that only a , it penetrates my consciousness. Too many of us have been directly impacted by gun violence, whether you are a classmate, a, a loved one, or beloved colleague that may have been killed. It feels like a sense of worthwhile humanity, the emotional toll, the vacuum thats created and caused by this senseless, sudden loss of life. Though and it seems no one really hears the pain and the squeal, the sense of loss. We hear from talking heads in the media, we listen to the emptyheaded, emptyminded, empty suits that are supported by the n. R. A. , that espouse this insensitive coverage about guns dont kill people, people kill people. And we all know that this is nothing but total nonsense. But with this loss and these conversations about gun violence is the human toll, the suffering of family members and communities, friends, the sense of horror and emptiness thats caused by the instant loss of life of a loved one. Of young people that had so much promise that were taken away far too soon. So im planning to introduce legislation to establish a National Memorial or even a Museum Dedicated to these victims so that they become not just a statistic, not just a number, but a life lived and a person loved. Id like to get your response to this idea of a memorial or a museum. Thank you, sir. On behalf of my colleagues, including myself, we engage with our Community Members on an annual basis with our Victims Services staff, our Domestic Violence detectives, to make sure that, one, we never forget those that lost their lives to gun violence and other homicide victims. And we light candles at a Memorial Service in the community, we do 5k walks, and we leverage the advocates just like were doing today in our local communities. To stop the violence. And the missing piece, obviously, is the legislative effort. But youre absolutely right. We cannot forget those that perished in this unfair trauma inflicted upon the United States. A Young Community member from baltimore here, traumatized, but shes doing something about it. We need to do more and informing people of the trauma is a great start. Thank you very much. Mr. Schneider, youre recognized for four minutes. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you for organizing this hearing. I want to thank all the witnesses for coming here and both courageously, passionately, and eloquently sharing your perspectives, telling your stories. Ms. Pilpot, to experience what youve experienced, i cannot imagine. In my own personal story, i am named after my mothers uncle, my uncle samual was murdered in 1943. When i decided to run for office 70 years later and raised the issue with my mother and her siblings about talking about my uncle, it was as if i had took a bandaid off an open wound that never healed, because they never do heal. And what were seeing in our schools, in our public places, in our workspaces, a greater frequency and intensity of Mass Shootings, more and more families are having that experience. More and more families are, as you said, the broken communities, broken people. We have a responsibility as a nation and within our communities to help restore these families, to give them the ability to find comfort and to continue to build. But we also have a responsibility to take measured steps to try to reduce this gun violence. That includes background checks, that includes closing the loopholes that allow people like the charleston shooter to acquire a weapon. It includes new laws on going across state lines. On trafficking across state lines and straw purchases. There are things that we can do and we need to invest in the research as a nation. What i would like to ask the panel is, what also can we do to empower our communities and, ms. Pilpot, if i can start with you, because youre there in the community, with young people, what more can we do for you and your fellow students, fellow young people to empower you to make a difference . Ms. Pilpot as an activist, a youth activist in baltimore, i always talk about resource availability and Restorative Justice and housing justice and Economic Justice within baltimore. We see deficits within our school systems, buildings that are falling apart you cant have a substantial amount of kids that want to be in school in circumstances like that. Or coming from communities where they might not be able to leave because there was just a shooting right down the street from their school, or their mother or father was shot, like my friend milton. Theres a lot that my community needs. There are different there are so many different viewpoints that we have to look at if were going to address the root causes of violence. Like i said, theres no one solution to every problem. Because if you want to address every problem that happens in urban communities like mine, you have to be willing to address the root causes of violence. Its a long list and a longstanding of what we need to do and the steps we need to take. But i think the first step is providing resources in these communities. Mr. Schneider thank you. Chief, let me turn to you. Ill ask it in two questions. The first is a fairly basic question. Would passing h. R. 8, the background check bill that this house passed more than 200 days ago, would that help . And then, are there other things we can do to empower you and people in your position to reduce gun violence . Absolutely. Passing h. R. 8 will help. And the other things that we can do were just stated bluntly by my colleague here. When we look at our community and the root causes of violence, obviously the availability of guns is the number one leading cause of the violence. But my peers and i as Law Enforcement officers, we need to engage with everybody else in the community and our local government and State Government and federal government to bring the resources to heal the community. Whether its public housing, the fear, anxiety, partnerships with schools. We need to be in the fabric as Law Enforcement leaders and officers with everyone. And together as a community, to have safer environment to travel to and from school, as the examples given here today. Safe classrooms. And to produce productive Community Members. Its all our responsibilities. And if we start with restricting the ability to have a gun in an illegal manner, thats a great start. Mr. Snyder absolutely, thank you. Schneider absolutely, thank you. I know for me, 75 years after my uncles death, we continue to fight to make progress and i honor his memory. I promise you, ms. Pilpot, well honor miltons memory and the memory of all your friends. Thank you. Thank you. The gentlemans time has expired. Mr. Sarbanes, youre recognized for four minutes. Mr. Sarbanes thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you for convening this hearing and for your leadership of the task force and i want to thank our witnesses for coming out, butmany of you pointed we need right now desperately our profiles in courage. That on theee senate side. We need Mitch Mcconnell to stand of americans who want to see these commonsense gun safety measures. Put in place. In holding assisting us hostage to the 10 . It does not make any sense. It is incomprehensible. Indefensible the position he has taken. This house has acted with hr eight, hr 1112, we did it early. Major piece of legislation passed in this congress by the house of representatives was hr eight. To put in place universal background checks. It has been months and months that we have been waiting for the senate to act. As many of my colleagues have said, we are not going to let up. As Speaker Pelosi indicated, we are going to keep the pressure on. Part of the reason i have confidence and optimism that that is going to make the differences because of the advocacy coming from people like those of you who are testifying today. Whoseentally, it is about side are we on . Americansthe side of who become increasingly fearful about gun violence in every community . We need Mitch Mcconnell to stand on the side of our citizens who want to see these measures put in place. Say, thereear people was an allusion to this earlier that universal background checks are not going to solve everything. That is true. But, it will make a difference. That the universal background checks are not going to hurt anyone. They can save lives. The thing that makes me most frustrated when we have these tragic massprofile shootings, is the sense of powerlessness that follows in their wake. Corroding at is the psyche and spirit of the nation. That we cant seem to do just after these tragedies. Just one thing. Week . That week that passing a universal background check will not solve everything, it will solve that sense of powerlessness we feel. It will show that we actually can do something. We can begin to fight back. Just 30 seconds left. Thank you for being here. Thank you for fighting on this issue. Thank you for fighting for baltimore. I love that city the way you do and i am proud to represent it. Really quick, do you feel like some of your peers are becoming motivated by the kind of action you are taking and that together you all are making a difference . Yes. When they see that we are able to come out and we are able to use our voices to make a change in it motivates them to come out. Sometimes we feel so voiceless. Understanding that we do have a voice that has power makes them want to get out to do more. To implement change within our community. I yelled back. Thank you. Dr. Ruiz, you are recognized. Thank you. I cannot emphasize strongly enough that this is a Public Health issue. Position of public expert, Public Health expert on our panel. Dr. Linda beach, thank you for sharing your story. Thank you for your work to save lives. You and i both have seen the realities in being in the front lines when victims of gun violence roll into emerging departments. We work to save lives. We mourn with their families. Cannote medical care overcome the devastation of a bullet. One of these you have to tell the family members. There is no group other than the victims themselves in the survivors. Net can relate to spirit experience that horrendous suffering. The stories that we take home and we contemplate for the rest of our lives as well. ApproachPublic Health to firearm violence makes sense. We used a Public Health policy before. In Motor Vehicle crashes. When it comes to firearm violence, people are dying. It is hard to come by get answers and how to prevent these deaths. By your definition, what is your definition to clarify of what a Public Health approach to gun violence is . The best articulation of that point of view i have ever heard, came from dr. Thatcher after he took over as head of the cdc. He said to the New York Times that if violence is not a Health Problem why are people dying from it . It really is that simple. There are deaths, there are injuries, there are long term consequences. We vastly underestimate those what does it mean to take a Public Health approach . That means to study this as if it were a Health Problem which it is. To understand what the risk factors are to the individual, and societal level. To understand how to intervene between risk and outcome so that risk factors do not necessarily mean that bad things happen. One way to do that is to enact comprehensive background checks which will identify people who have risk factors, prevent them firearms. Ring you cant shoot somebody if you dont have a gun to do it with. That really straightforward. It is a timetested approach. We are using it at the moment for opioids. In other words, we use Scientific Evidence to identify high risk individuals and make sure that those individuals, like people who have shot somebody in the past, dont get their hands on guns, correct . That is correct. What else has the scientific and evidence shown to overall reduce the incidence of firearm deaths . Forrought in the criteria prohibition. There are others in california, we have enacted a law that prohibits people who have been convicted of misdemeanor Violent Crimes from possessing firearms for 10 years. In most of the country it is a myth that people it people who have committed Violent Crime cannot get firearms. That new policy reduced risk for Violent Crime. That is a big difference. What further research would you like to see . You ask a researcher that question. I would prioritize this. I do not think we know enough about the consequences. The effects again, not only on people who have been shot and their family members, but communities. Communities of people who care for the people who have been injured. Of prevention, what other research would you suggest . . I would like to see intervention trials where states since congress has not acted, states are enacting new policies in an violence. Stem we need to see if those policies have their intended effects. Thank you. Mr. Paske well you are recognized. Thank you. Thank you for putting this together today. Overve done a lot of work the past several months. Panel. To think the you are brave people to come give testimony. Dr. , we are going to need you. And people like you. I get a charge out of people talking about the fact that this is a sign of mental illness. Whenever there is a shooting. These are the same people who did not really support Mental Health parity. I am not joking, this is serious. Patrick kennedy came to this house, if you remember, to legislation dealing with the very things you have been talking about. Destiny. Project in 10 years think about it. Sound. U will be safe and still doing what you are doing. Teaching us. As a teacher, you have a tremendous amount of influence. Parkland proved that children shall lead us. Leslie, ptas and what they are theg now they understand severity of this situation. Thank you. Kernel. I want to talk to her chart. Colonel. As mayor of the city of paterson, new jersey, i stood on the steps of city hall in patterson. Bansn one of the first in this country of assault weapons. The went to city hall, police station, i am sorry. I saw a police on the top of the garages and buildings around. I walked in and i said to the Public Safety director, what are they doing out there . It looks like an armed camp. He said, it is. We have had threats on you and the governor. Therefore, follow me. So i followed him into the Police Office there. The directors office. Jacket. Me my first flak he said youre going to have to wear this to the ceremony in order to sign the ban on assault weapons. So to the governor. So did the governor. My deal. My job, colonel is to protect you. My job is to collectively as protect Police Officers. I want you to know that you are a priority. I do everything as the cochair of Public Safety of congress. Are our first line of defense. Background checks are going to help us. Anyone inore than this room how effective they are. How it helps you in an investigation. I know it is after the fact, but you are in place to do that. You need all the help that you need. Trained Police Officer, besides a well armed Police Officer. Our policeman are outgunned and out staff. Staffed. Those who point out that these mental people out there are doing all of these things and we do not have to worry about it. Guns kill people. No, people kill people. That is their motto. Put it on a Bumper Sticker and to see how many kids it saves. Say how many Police Officers it saves. If i dont do my job, you should get rid of me and put someone else in my place you can do that job. I thank you for all of your service. Ou have done a heck of a job mr. Evans is recognized for four minutes. Thank you. Thank thank you for the witnesses. The cbc study showed that bringing a gun in the home brings everyone at greater risk of gun violence. The nra has disputed the findings in 1996, congress revoked the cdcs ability to Research Gun Violence as a Public Health issue. Earlier this year, the madam chair of the appropriations committee, the house passed what would be the First Federal funding for gun research and 23 years. That 50ud to vote for million. Gun violence is a Public Health issue. Guns kill nearly 40,000 americans in 2017. Thats 40,000 americans. As a comparison, nearly the same number of people died from Breast Cancer last year. If there is no dispute that Breast Cancer is a Public Health issue, do you know what happens when we treat Motor Vehicle death is a Public Health issue . The number of Motor Vehicle deaths decreased by 45 . In my home city of philadelphia, 154 killings and 630 one victims of gun violence in just the First Six Months of 2019. Not to mention the thousands of family members and friends who were affected by death or injury of a loved one by gun violence. Dr. , guns took the lives of a hundred and two children and young adults in philadelphia in one year. This is why it is critical that the Senate Address the issue. As our chairman indicated. This is a Public Health issue. The recently did a story about this title called shot and forgotten. I encourage everyone to read. Response to that story, senator casey and i introduce the resource for the victims of gun violence act. We had 52 cosponsors. I encourage all members to sign on. We must make sure victims get the help they need. Dr. , why is why is it commitive that we resources to those affected by gun violence . Dr. Because they are suffering. People who have been shot face longterm psychological disability. The people around them face drama, and are impaired. Entire communities are adversely affected. I would argue there were is a moral imperative that we would provide those resources. Let me double down. I think there is a moral imperative that we provide support for research. Asre is no such thing intervening with a complex problem without understanding it. Godo not fly blind when we after Breast Cancer opioids, heart disease, Motor Vehicle injuries. We are asking ourselves to fly blind when it comes to intervening and preventing firearm violence. That is wrong. Thank you for the time. Again, i want to thank the chairwoman of the appropriations committee. It was under her leadership we got to 50 million for the purpose of the cdc. Thank you mr. Chairman. Mr. Clay, youre are recognized for four minutes. Thank you. Let me start by saying that since april of this year, i represent st. Louis, missouri. We are quickly becoming known as the murder capital of america. Since april, on more than a dozen teenagers between the ages of two and 17 have been killed by gun violence. Let me start with the colonel. I heard you mention, and it made sense for hr eight to pass the senate, and gets to the president s desk. As well as the charlotte i mean the charlotte loophole. Let me ask you. Would it be helpful if local governments could determine ir own firearms the regulations . Instead of being dictated by the state as their respective states. Right now, 43 states limit local government from passing more stringent firearms regulations then what is allowed by the state. Can i hear your opinion on that . Do you think local government would be a good place to start . I agree, local government is a great place to start. Fairfax countys local leaders have already started that for years. Theirsly, getting past General Assembly in richmond is an obstacle. Is a gun rights states, like many states. When we talk about the issues in the local level of these mass tragedies, or individual we do the psychological autopsy, if you will, of the person who inflicted the violence. We are lacking legislation to prevent those. Psychologicalhese investigations revealed to us. As i told my peers throughout the country, our ability to also on a National Effort report the tracking of firearms such as transfers, loss, or theft of firearms. It is not consistent. Fbison the chair of the reporting system. On an annual basis, we wrestle with that ability on a National Level to track all of this. Yes, we need to take local action at the same time because we are not getting the federal action. On the issue of open carry . Sure what virginia poss laws are. But, do you ever report citizens calling in and saying i saw a i just saw somebody strapped with an assault rifle, carrying it open, or someone was carrying sidearm. Rying a dont you find that alarming virginia is an open carry state. The key is to train your officers and your call takers to understand and get as much tactical information as possible. That too is a tragedy waiting to happen. Notofficers and dispatchers trained to get out the information, we can mr. You are recognized. Thank you very much for your leadership in this important hearing in committee. Along with the speaker for her comments earlier. I am one of the cochairs of the victims rights caucus. It is a bipartisan effort here for years, it deals with the effects of gun violence across america. Committee is does trying to do is not only passed meaningful legislation in congress, but to shed a light and try to coordinate a strategy societyolves all of our. This is an epidemic. Yesterday, fresno high student a felt cute, might shoot up school later post. An arrest was made after 18 made a joke about shooting up a school. School administrators alerted authorities to the post while police say it was a photo of the student with a caption that read felt cute, might shoot up a school later. Officers found the student on arrested onteen was suspicion of making threats. Last year, i cosponsored an effort with local Law Enforcement agencies, Fresno Unified School district, to provide updated schools safety plans. We know about students looking for bulletproof backpacks. We also did the same in reset when Law Enforcement and school administrators, and School Groups this is part of a new effort. Yesterday, another community i represent, that a usps employee was shot in the head while walking home from work. It is everywhere. Clearly. Colonel, i appreciate your emphasis on the background checks. You also asked what else could be done, well you said that there are multiple efforts on a strategy because we do not know a single solution is going to solve this crisis. I would like the good doctor from uc davis it seems to me that part of what is lacking, besides frustration, is how we weave together a cohesive strategy. That includes all of the above. Would either of you care to comment . One thread at a time. If i might. One of those threads would be i am worse i am responding to the anecdote you mention. 80 of the time people commit mass violence, they declare their intention to do so in advance. People have notice of this. These high school students. Exactly right. Other states, people can do something. They can react to those threats. Law enforcement can take action. There is federal legislation pending to encourage other states to do this, and to adopt it is intended to protect against active shooters, school is locked down as a precautionary measure, it requires staff and students comply with the rules. Published a series of 21 cases in california in which extreme Risk Protection orders were used in an effort to prevent Mass Shootings no Mass Shootings occurred. When i take the school example, best practices across the country, School Resource officers are part of the fabric social media. We need to act on those threats. Or get them into Mental Health services immediately. Thank you. Thank you so much. I will thank each and every one of you sitting here today. Thank you for your courage. Specifically, destiny, thank you very much. It is critical to be able to hear your voices. Your are going to be key in helping you eradicate what you are seeing across the country. Thank you for your courage and your fortitude to continue to be a voice of change. Tom School Shootings violence in our communities, children should never have to live in fear of gun violence. I believe we are at a critical moment for gun violence. From expanding background checks, sue closing the loophole, all of the things that have been mentioned here. Passing federal extreme Risk Protection orders. And thank you dr. , we are all finally taking action. Today, the education and Labor Committee did actually mark up School Shootings safety and preparedness act so that we can finally understand the problem of School Shootings empirically. This will allow us to learn more about how we can protect our provide resourceside for our schools as we work to reduce prevent these tragedies. We also continue to help our children who are facing gun violence away from school, in their communities, and even in their homes. We must make sure that we are protecting children from a gun thatnce that just is just doesnt always make the headlines. Dr. , would is for data and collection be a helpful first step in addressing gun violence . Yes. There are very limited data on School Shootings, violence in schools, or generally violence around schools which is where much of the problem is located. Verygenerally, there are limited data on the nature and severity of violence in the United States. Gun violence in particular. Important sources of information that were used in the past have been taken off the table. It is now impossible to get access to data that were used in critical studies to understand the structure and function of criminal gun markets. That research can no longer be done. Theould you agree that dollars that have been appropriate for the cdc and nih School Shootings would be invaluable to be able to get to some solutions . I think that amount would be a good start. Thank you. Miss boggs, you may be aware of tograms led by that seek reduce social isolation. These typesupport of programs, and what other steps can we take to empower our students, parents, and teachers to prevent gun violence . I think congress has the opportunity to fully fund title for a, which is a comprehensive look at our school safety. And teachers and Community Members need to be a part of the conversation to come up with what works for their specific situation and their communities. It is important when we look at that are going collaborative leadership is important. I appreciate where you are going. I think fully funding what we have and the 50 million is a great step forward. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Let me thank all the witnesses for your presence here today. I could spend time longer than we have the opportunity. I wanted to get back here personally say thank you. I am going to run quickly through my questions. Providingagree that 75 million in additional funding to help guns stay out of dangerous criminals is important . Go quickly. Yes, absolutely. Colonel. Thank you very much. Let me also indicate that dr. Childrense Texas Medical Center said that gun violence and its aftermath caused 300 million. Could that money be used better for gun Violence Research . Issues dealing with Mental Health rather than the 300 billion for the aftermath of violence . Yes. If the trauma team is taking care of somebody who has been shot, that team is not available to take care of someone who has been in a car wreck. There are opportunity costs. Thank you. I have introduced the San Jose High School victims. Would you support the idea that to prohibit sale of a private the fairo ensure transaction of that gun . Yes, absolutely. Additionally, she was one of those who died in santa fe. The federal firearm licensing and registration act provided for the licensing of a firearm and ammunition possession. Would anyone want to comment on that . Clearly what we see in the gun violence is the majority of the people get the guns through sales orcesses, street loopholes in the loss. Hopefully licensing would be very helpful in that process. It will reduce the illegal sales. Here is one that i have promoted. Every spring when children are out of school, you get a series of accidental shootings by a toddler, a fiveyearold, a 10yearold. I have another victim of the santa fe shooting, the storage act to require the safe storage ammunition. And i believe in the bill of rights. I dont want to take anyones guns away. I appreciate if anyone wants to make mention of that that it is a sensible thing to have americans do. I only have 35 seconds. Someone want to say storage is valuable . Yes, it is. Anyone else . Definitely so. Yes. How painful it is as a child to experience gun violence . It is painful. It is embarrassing. To anything iable have ever experienced in my life. , excuse myle dead language, brains on a bench outside of baltimore, it is not something i would wish on my worst enemy. Thank you so much. Mr. Swallow, you are recognized. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to follow up and thank you for your advocacy considering what happened to you and that you continue to lead this fight. How many funerals do you think you have gone to for gun . Iolence the amount of funerals that i was supposed to go to, whether or not i was mentally capable of, ive attended 13 funerals for my friends and thats in the last four years. There were two in which i did not attend because they happened backtoback and i could not youve gone to 13 funerals for friends in the last two years who were killed by guns . Yes. Do your friends and you today worry that today could be your last day on earth because of the threat of gun violence . If im being honest, a lot of us are scared, but a lot of us are so used to the idea that we just find it amazing that if we make it to our 18th birthday, its just something thats like so casual, and violence and death by guns is so normalized and were so numb to it, were desperately working for that not to be the norm in my community. A lot of us think, i could be next. I went to chicago a couple months ago, south side neighborhood, a young woman there told me that for most young men, the only time theyll wear a suit in their life is at their funeral. Is that kind of the sentiment that you see in baltimore . A lot of the times, yes, it is a sentiment that well see. Its whats expected. But its not the reality. Like i said, baltimore isnt bad, its broken. A lot of people are doing the necessary things, a lot of people do put on suits just to go to a job interview, where they may or may not get the job. I guess i was just really addressing the hopelessness that so many people expect, that before theyre 18, theyll be a victim. So thats the sad side. Thats the real that you deal with every day. And youre strong and youre here. Can you tell us what the time you with the time you have left what people like you in your community and people like you, a young person across america, can do to make sure that people like my 2yearold son and other peoples children in america do not have to experience this in their schools, in their communities, anywhere where we gather, what can we do, how can we not live this way . So, my friend was murdered three weeks after we led a National Walkout as part of march for our lives. I think the important thing to understand is that if we do go out and we do make our voices heard, then we will begin to implement change. Im not promising it will come today or tomorrow or 10 years, but we cannot afford to stay because we have a different narrative of what gun violence looks like. And the solutions that we need to fix the problem. And a lot of us in baltimore and in chicago, because i work heavily with people in chicago, we are desperately trying to implement and shift the narrative around gun violence so that it is inclusive. Because gun violence is so multifaceted and we cannot afford to look at it interest one angle and one perspective. To implement one narrative into it because i might not know or have experienced Mass Shootings, but my friend has, right. And so the way that we go about it is, the more that we implement each others narrative, the stronger our argument is to implement this change into every community. Beautifully said. Thank you. Thank you very, very much. Thank you all for your very thoughtful and helpful testimony. I think you could hear from the questions that the members asked, were not giving up on this. Weve passed the background check bill. We know that will save lives. We know its important. You backed that up today. Were all committed to doing everything we can to make sure kids arent traumatized the way that they have been traumatized. The idea of, in your back to School Shopping you buy bulletproof backpacks, is just ludicrous. We need to take action. Senator mcconnell needs to take action. Weve done our work, weve sent two good bills to the senate that will save lives. Senator mcconnell needs to do his job, take those bills up for a vote, so we can help save lives. Thank you very much. Weve been called to vote so im going to gavel out at this time. Thank you very much. We stand adjourned. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2019] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org]