Intelligence discusses his book. Festival, liveok saturday, august 31 at 10 00 a. M. Eastern on book tv on cspan2. House democrats, including therity leader briefed majority on hr eight, a gun background check bill. The measure passed the house and is waiting action in the senate. This runs about 45 minutes. Good morning. My name is steny hoyer. Im the majority leader of the house of representatives. We have been out for just a few days on summer recess. During that time it, we have confronted great tragedy. Sadly, continuing tragedy. How may americans will lose their lives or their loved ones to ramp it gun violence before the United StatesSenate Takes Action . So far this year, more than 9000 americans thats in seven months have been killed by gun violence. That includes those killed and more than 250 Mass Shootings. Mass shootings this year in america. The attacks in el paso and dayton and gilroy, california and the violence all within about seven days of one another, of 50han the neighborhood americans lost their lives to gun violence. Some five months ago, on february 27, 2019, the house of representatives passed a bill, hr8, a bill that is supported by over 95 of americans. Passed the house of representatives and was sent to the United States senate where, sadly, it languishes. Is it the solution to all of this violence . It is not. 95 of americans support it because they believe it is a significant and important step to take in the face of this violence. The house has acted. It is time, past time, for the house to act. We have a sit in. Two years ago, three years ago, on june 22, 2016. Since that time, we believe they are in the neighborhood of some 25,000 plus lives have been lost. I am going to introduce a young woman whose school was subjected to gun violence. As a result, a young student, her friend, lost their lives. She died on march 20, 2018. Jackson, one of her classmates, was one of those who thought silence and inaction was not enough. Jackson . Good morning. My name is jackson. I am 18. I ams state director for march for our lives with maryland. I recently graduated in southern maryland. If you recognize my school, on march 20, 2018, 16yearold jaylen was shot and killed. Our entire community was traumatized. Im here to represent the young people across america who have had their lives ripped apart by gun violence. Im here today to represent the young people who want change. I am here to tell senator mcconnell its time to take immediate action on gun violence. We need a clean version of a 42. We need a grant system for laws, we need funding for the cdc to do their jobs and research gun violence. At this point, there are two options. Either the senate votes on this lifesaving legislation or we vote out those who stand in our way. Gun violence is a national crisis. And the senate needs to start acting like it. Thank you. Rep. Hoyer thank you jackson who is a leader of march for our lives. Want to introduce congressman donald payne of new jersey. Thank you foryne your leadership in bringing us here today. Good morning. As the congressman from newark, new jersey, i come from a town that continues to suffer from this national plague of gun violence. I want to publicly offer my full support of the bipartisan background check act of 2019. Thisll make sure people who buy guns are lawabiding and loyal citizens, that gun owners are people who want to defend their families, not attack our citizens. Its a statement that my colleagues in the congress will not sit back and allow another el paso, dayton, or any more shootings to happen without action. Yet, we mourn those lost in these all too frequent disasters. Its important to remember that while some cities suffer these tragedies occasionally, others suffer them daily. Like me, many members returned to districts where gun violence is all too common. The rare exemption to find a family that has not been the victim of this national menace. Thats why i support this act so strongly. We need to know who is buying guns and why. We need to make sure that our sportsmen are getting the opportunity to use guns in the proper manner. And not some psychopath. We need to show the country that our tolerance of gun violence is over. I would like to introduce a young man who has suffered this tragedy. Fortunately, he is here to speak on his own. Gregory jackson. Good afternoon. Im Gregory Jackson with the Community Justice fund. I am also a survivor of gun violence. I want to thank the house of representatives are making such a strong stride forward to reduce violence. As many of you know, hundreds of thousands of people survive gun violence every year. We may think thats a small thing, that they are still here and Still Standing strong, what we dont see are the hours of therapy they go through, the drama, the tears in their families eyes. The years of Emotional Trauma that happen with an act of violence. I grew up in rural virginia. Guns were a means to hunt. And may be protected yourself. In 2013, i was struck down by a stray bullet when somebody tried to take my life. After 21 days in the hospital, i six months of recovery, i was able to get back on my feet. I am still dealing with it every day. Ive spoken to hundreds of survivors who are going through the same thing every day and waiting for congress to step up and do something. In our cities every day, we are losing people. In d. C. We lost 10yearold walking across the street to gun violence. A 12yearold was shot down at a mcdonalds. A few weeks after hosting his own gun violence prevention rally. This is an epidemic that is hitting people in our communities every day. Eg the senate to step up and do something, to push hr8 and strive to pass legislation that will prevent gun violence that is traumatizing so many lives every day. Thank you. Thank you. I want to introduce the doctor. Congressman john dyer of virginia. Thank you. The issue that brings us here today is deadly serious. This is a typical day in the United States, there will be at least one mass shooting. They dont all make the National Headlines when headlines like el paso or daytona or dayton but they claim of huge toll on , american life. Mitch mcconnell isnt doing anything about it. This is an because he doesnt know what the problem is. We know why he isnt here. He is waiting for the outrage to die down and the headlines to change and people to turn the page and think about something else. Asdelays and weights, he delays and weights for people to lose interest, 100 americans are dying every day. Dr. Martin luther king junior told the crowd in front of the Lincoln Memorial that weve come to this house about the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in coolingoff or gradualism. Now is the time to make real promises. The house has done its job to save these lives. Mitch mcconnell needs to do his. I would like to introduce the assistant professor of surgery and chief of the division of acute care surgery at Johns Hopkins hospital. Once the victim of gun violence, he spends his time as a researcher and advocate for the goal of reducing gun violence in america. He sees the wounds these bullets make every day. He brings together Health Care Providers to advocate for solutions to gun violence. He serves on the board of directors for the brady campaign. Good morning. Let me thank the majority leader for his leadership and the rest of his team for being here today. I stand before you not just as a survivor of gun violence or a brady board member. I am a trauma surgeon. As one of Many Health Care professionals, we are front and center in taking care of these patients day in and day out. Make no mistake about this, over the next decade, over one million americans will be shot. That doesnt even begin to tell the impact it has on society. The mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers are devastated after this. If we are being honest, the Mainstream Media covers this issue around Mass Shootings. There are young men from black and brown communities that are injured and killed in cities like baltimore, chicago, philadelphia. Those stories often go untold. This is a complex health problem. There is no one solution. Its a multifaceted approach. The house has done their job. They passed hr8. Now, were calling on senator Mitch Mcconnell to take action, not sides. Its about time that we start approaching this issue as a uniquely american problem. Thats what it is. This is not a republican problem or a democrat problem. Its an american problem. Is it going to solve everything . No. Its a step in the right direction. It is critical. Since the brady bill has been passed, 3. 5 million firearms have been capped out of the hands of people that should not have them, like felons, domestic abusers, those that are a danger to themselves. We are calling on the senate to have the moral courage to do the right thing. Americans are not going to stand on the sidelines of history as people continue to be injured and killed. Thank you. Rep. Hoyer i would like to introduce the gentlewoman from michigan, who has been involved with issue perhaps longer than any of us. She and her husband have been outspoken advocates and we appreciate her coming from michigan to introduce one of our speakers and to give her testimony as well, urging mr. Mcconnell to act. Thank you for your leadership. Thank you for holding this today. 10 days ago, the weekend that is the most recent episode, we have now seen 253 Mass Shootings. It was dearborn homecoming in the city that i lived in. A three day festival. Friday night, before the shooting, i served beer in the beer tent all three nights. People know where to find me. A mother came and grabbed my hand and would not let it go. She said to me, my daughter is starting kindergarten this fall. She is five years old. I have to decide about whether i buy her the backpack that she wants or a bulletproof backpack. Her daughter is on the autistic scale. She will never stay quiet in a closet. Im scared to death. You have to do something. You have to do something. On sunday after the shooting, i was in the access tent. Its an arab american organization. Little kids know me. They know me as missed abby miss debbie. They said to me, why do people hate us . Are we safe . Our children are going back to school in a couple of weeks. Some before labor day, some after. I shouldnt be answering questions of mothers of kindergartners or the children themselves about whether they are safe or if they are hated. Weve got to stop this partisan bickering. I spent my marriage married to john dingell. He was one of the founders of the nra in the 1960s and a board member. Before he died, when i had spoken out again he said deborah, im proud of you. Times of change. We have to do something. We cant keep going to our corners and not figuring out what were going to do. In the top 25 industrialized nation, 93 of the children between zero and 14 that are killed by guns are american children. Its wrong. Thesenate has to come to table, they have to act, we have to do something so our kids can start school and not look at me and say, are we safe . Why do people hate me . The why do people hate me . Now i am proud to introduce the Vice President of policy at brady, who comes to this issue because of his own family. His parents were shot. His mother was killed. Thank you for being here. I am the Vice President of policy at brady. My parents were coming home and 2005 from a holiday vacation. They spent the weekend getting sunburn on a boat. When they came back, we experienced what far too Many Americans experience every day. My dad was shot three times and survived his wounds. My mom was shot and killed with a single bullet to the back. Neighbors said she had begged for her life, was able to get up and run before the bullet shot and killed her. She died before she hit the ground. I will never know if that is true. Thats a nice sentiment. Gun violence is not abstract to any of us. Its very real. Gun violence is not just a statistic or a number on a sheet of paper. When we read about the 100 people who die every day at the hands of guns, its real to us because its the life we live. Our lives will never be the same. Gun violence to me isnt just the figures, its the fact that i wont be able to call my mother at the end of this day. Its the fact that my mom will never know the joy of being a grandmother, she will never be able to hold one of her grandchildren. Gun violence to me is that on my wedding day not only is my wife never going to have the opportunity to know the most wonderful woman in my life, aside from her, its that there was an empty chair i had to stare at as my wife walked down the aisle. This is not abstract. This is not a conversation that is too soon or too early. It is way too late. The fact is, we dont need action once recess is back. We dont need action in 2020 when we have potentially a new president or new congress. We need action right now. Mitch mcconnell has bills on his desk right now. Every day that those bills are not signed into law, more people will experience what we have lived through every single day. The cost of this in action, cost of Mitch Mcconnell not bringing these bills forward, lets be clear, its human lives. Its more children that will not be able to call their mother when they go home. Its more parents who will not be able to hold their children at night when they come home. The time is now. I am so thankful to have a house that is ready to take these steps. We need the senate to follow suit. Thank you. Rep. Hoyer thank you very much. I would like to introduce Anthony Brown from maryland. He is a retired colonel. He knows a lot about guns and safety. Congressman Anthony Brown. Congressman brown i would like to thank leader hoyer. I would like to think my colleagues who have been long after this effort and have worked allegedly day in and day out in their communities and in withess as we struggle this effort to reduce gun violence and our communities. Thank thet to survivors, the family members, the victims who are here today sharing your tragedy, your trauma, and putting a face on that the gun violence has on the families, the communities and us. I thank you for being here today. Our gun violence problem, as we all know, is an epidemic. Than 250 Mass Shootings this year alone. More than several tens of thousands. Killed onple shot and average every year in this country. Face of this epidemic, Mitch Mcconnell is doing nothing. Upwont even bring bipartisan solution that we have passed in this house over 165 days ago. It is now. The time for Mitch Mcconnell and President Trump to do something meaningful about gun violence in the United States. And meaningful action does not end with signing a bipartisan background checks bill, which is ourrtant, we must pursue federal red flag law, similar to what we have done in maryland, which is empower why enforcement to remove weapons from those who impose an imminent threat to themselves and others. We have to ban highcapacity magazines that allow the dayton shooter and so many others to tens of rounds and merely seconds. We have to ban assault weapons to get these weapons of war off our streets. I was asked recently, someone brown, me, congressman why do you have a bill in . I support banning assault weapons entirely. But i also have a billing to reach the age to 21. I did not come up with this idea. The day after the parkland mass shooting President Trump said lets raise the age to 21, which is what the age is to buy a handgun from a federally registered dealer. Said, why should we raise the age for an assault weapon to 21 when we can let and m4, m16,ire m machine gun and drive a tank and the United States military . There is a difference. In the military we put weapons of war and the hands of everyone from age 18 to 60 because they have an important job to do. War,have a job to go to when the war, come home to their families and their country. To comeimportant thing, home to a country that is safe and secure. This nation safe and secure when we take weapons out of the hands, particularly weapons of war at of the hands of people who have no business having those weapons. Train, weitary we supervise, there is a real purpose. Of having anurpose ar 15 semi automatic weapon with 100 round capacity magazine. There is no purpose. There is a clear distinction in my mind, but there is a clear distinction in the minds of the overwhelming majority of america. We in the house, my colleagues and i, we have done some important work. Over to thebill senate. There is a lot more that we could send, but we said, lets act on this one where there is almost universal consensus that this is an important step to make. So as we stand here today, and a call for more efforts, which is improving Mental Health and Mental Health services addressing of thought weapons, highcapacity magazines, lets start with passing universal background checks which have bipartisan support in the house, and almost universal support among the american public. It is a real privilege for me to be here this morning with my colleagues as i mentioned. Also, to introduce dr. Wendy edmonds. Dr. Edmonds, who is my sister, sylviar fraser was one of 12 people murdered on september 16, 2013 at the Washington Navy yard. Sylvia worked as an information at Naval Sea Systems Command as an Information Assurance manager since 2000. She is a patriotic american dedicated to our country. She should be alive today with her family. She is not. Dr. Edmonds. I watch my sister sylvia rene fraser move about the church gracefully as she put on a great, memorable dance performance. When the program was over she said, im exhausted. I hugged her neck, kissed her on the cheek and said go home and get some rest. Morning, september 16, 2013, i woke up, carried on with my usual rou