Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to go forward now with my closing. Last week, we saw Republicans fail to protect Dreamers. These are young people who, in many cases, have known no other country than the United States. It is, like it is for you and for me, quite simply, their home. They are, but for one piece of paper, just as American as anyone in this room. Yet my friends across the aisle take pains to denigrate and belittle Dreamers. We witnessed Republican leadership bring anti-immigrant legislation to the House floor that did nothing to solve the heartbreaking situation for children and their parents on the southern border. In fact, the bills pushed by my Republican friends would perpetuate child detention, further tarnishing our Nation's values. Democrats have put forward multiple bipartisan proposals to address the need for immigration reform in our country and, now, for the need to address the completely self-made Republican crisis at our border involving the separation of infants and toddlers from their mothers and fathers. All of them have been dismissed out of hand. If my Republican colleagues can move past throwing red meat to their base and are willing to work in a serious and bipartisan manner to address the issues in our immigration system, then know that Democrats are ready to work with you. All you need to do is stand up to the extreme faction in your party and finally work with us. Let me say something else, finally, about that. The current occupant of the White House continues to say that Democrats believe in open borders and crime. I know I don't believe in open borders, and I know that I have spent a career in the field of law in trying to assist, not only my community, but here in our Congress, countless communities, to avoid criminal elements and crime in a variety of places throughout our country. I don't think it is right just to make political points at the expense of something that is so critical, and I deem it wrong that it is said that Democrats favor open borders and crime. That is just the farthest thing from the truth. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today and recognize the Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz Band on their May 12, 2018 first place win at the 2018 Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition in New York City. Dillard High School, located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida has a long history of excellence in the arts. In 1948, Dillard's well-known jazz program attracted one of the greatest musicians in history, Julian Edwin ``Cannonball'' Adderley. Under the leadership of Director Christopher Dorsey, Dillard's Jazz Band performed on stage at Lincoln Center for the Essentially Ellington Competition. They were judged by an esteemed panel of jazz musicians, lead by composer and trumpeter Mr. Wynton Marsalis, and deemed to be worthy of the first place prize out of fifteen band finalists. Additionally, Ms. Summer Camargo, a member of the band, won the Composition/Arranger Contest. Mr. Speaker, I am so proud of the Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz band. I wish Director Dorsey and the entire jazz band ensemble a hearty congratulations.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I would remind Mr. Burgess that he has the levers of power now, and I predict that today, the two measures that we are going to be dealing with are not likely to reach the President's desk. But none of this was happening 4 months ago. None of this was happening 2 months ago. But a policy that was announced by Jeff Sessions is what brought us to this, and that had to come through the President. Last night, at our Rules Committee, I offered an amendment that would have provided a pathway to citizenship for certain long-term temporary protected status holders. Not surprisingly, in this historically closed Congress, my amendment was not made in order. Let me repeat that. This historically closed Congress--89 closed rules. Never in the history of this body have we had as many closed rules. As we discussed the need for Dreamers to have a path to citizenship, which they must, I wanted to make sure that those who are in our country under temporary protected status are not passed over and forgotten. They are from El Salvador. They are from Honduras, Nicaragua, Nepal, Syria, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and Haiti. These individuals are hardworking taxpayers, many of whom have U.S.- born children or U.S. citizen spouses, and they contribute to our economy and our communities. They pay taxes, and in myriad and dynamic ways they work at our airports and our service industries, in our healthcare sector, and on our construction sites. They are fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers. They are members of our faith-based communities. And every single one of them, to a person, hails from a country still recovering from natural disasters, internal violence, or both. I will give you just one example. On January 12, 2010, Haiti was devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. 1.5 million people were displaced, 300,000 buildings were destroyed, and 8 years on, tens of thousands of people remain in camps.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, then they had a hurricane. The hurricane was the first category 4 hurricane to hit Haiti in over half a century, claiming 1,000 lives and displacing more than 2 million people. Haiti, quite simply, continues to climb out from the rubble of the earthquake, cholera outbreak, and Hurricane Matthew, and we in the United States have tried to help them to do so, as we should. In its wisdom, the Trump administration has decided to end TPS for Haiti and many other countries. Not only does this conclusion fly in the face of the facts as we know them, but it needlessly inflicts countless wounds on our communities and our families.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the City Commission of the City of Lauderdale Lakes located in Broward County, Florida. This area has long been a retirement location for people from New York and in particular those of the Jewish faith. Those with Caribbean and African American ancestry began to settle there in the late 20th century, making the City a true American success story of diversity, which is now home to over 35,000 people. In 2014, the City voted to alter the structure of its governing body by establishing a city commission that would be composed of five individuals. In November 2016, the City's residents elected five women of color, making them the only city in Florida to have a commission entirely comprised of women. Mr. Speaker, to the residents of Lauderdale Lakes, and especially to its Mayor Hazelle Rogers, Vice Mayor Beverly Williams, and City Commissioners Sandra Davey, Gloria Lewis, and Veronica Edwards Phillips, I offer my sincere congratulations on this historic achievement and wish the City many years of continued success.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Chair, let me say at the outset to the chairman and ranking member, that I do not intend to ask for a recorded vote on this measure. I thought earlier today that I would withdraw the amendment, but in light of the fact that we are here in the middle of the night, I decided I may as well make my point. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would increase funding for cybersecurity of the electric power grid by $5 million, offset by reductions in fossil energy research and development. Like almost everyone in this body, I am deeply concerned about the cybersecurity of our Nation's electric power grid. I don't know how many of you know that yesterday there was a major outage--that hadn't reached the news, for some reason--of the Comcast telephone network. I don't think there was anything untoward with reference to it, at least it hadn't been reported. The mere fact is that we are more reliant than ever on this Nation's power grid to provide electricity to the massive amount of technologies that contribute to our country every single second: cellular communications equipment; heating and cooling to our workplaces-- especially cooling in this particular workplace that seems to be overused, in my opinion--and homes; lights to guide us at night on highways; and on and on. While we have never been more dependent on electricity, our electric energy grid has never been as vulnerable as it is today. With the rise of nation-state-supported computer hackers in countries like Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and the rogue hackers, the computers that control our power networks are increasingly seen as the most impactful targets for those who wish to do us harm. Outages from such attacks will cause harm not only to our national security, but our economic stability as well. They will hurt, to name just a few, hospitals, banks, factories, financial networks, water systems, telecommunications, and military bases. I believe that we must work with those who operate our grid to give them the tools they need to detect and prevent malicious actors from causing damage to our electric system and critical infrastructure. This funding of $5 million that I would request, and will again somewhere, is just a fraction of what is needed, but it sends a signal at least that we are serious about addressing this vulnerability, and that is my purpose here this evening. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight a resolution that I have introduced with my good friends, Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York and Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Wisconsin. Our resolution recognizes the history and current situation of People of African Descent living in Europe and Black Europeans, and encourages the Secretary of State to take a number of steps to ensure their situation is improved following recommendations from the People of African Descent Week (PADWEEK) held by our colleagues in the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium from May 13-17, 2018. As European Parliamentarian Cecile Kyenge has noted, ``The People of African Descent Week reaffirms European values by developing strategic and coherent responses to make our society more inclusive in the face of rising racial prejudice and violence across Europe.'' Recommendations from the week included a European Black History Month and Remembrance Day for Victims of Colonialism and Enslavement, a fund for Black European led initiatives to address continuing disparities and discrimination and support empowerment initiatives, European-wide strategies for the inclusion of People of African Descent, and support for transatlantic exchanges on common issues of racial prejudice and discrimination. The need for recognition of Black populations in Europe became clear ten years ago when I chaired a U.S. Helsinki Commission hearing entitled, ``The State of (In)visible Black Europe: Race, Rights, and Politics,'' where we learned that the situation in Europe is very similar to the one in the United States. While the presence of Blacks in Europe can be traced to enslavement, colonization, military deployments, voluntary or forced migration, the movement of refugees and asylum seekers, or educational and other professional exchanges, the story of Europeans of African Descent and Black Europeans still remains largely untold, rendering many of their past and present contributions to the very fabric of Europe unseen or forgotten, which is unacceptable. Mr. Speaker, on May 14, 2018, Congressman Meeks, Congresswoman Moore, and I had the pleasure of being U.S. Honorary Hosts during PADWEEK. I include in the Record, the statement we made to our friends in the European Parliament. It is my hope that when we gather in the years to come to review the efforts of the United Nations designated International Decade for People of African Descent, we will not only speak of how our efforts resulted in our respective nations publicly recognizing the injustices and long-term impact of slavery and colonialism, but also of how our societies reconciled these issues in a manner that ensured equal opportunity, access, and justice for all People of African Descent. Statement of U.S. Honorary Hosts: Honorable Alcee L. Hastings-- Honorable Gregory Meeks--Honorable Gwen Moore

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, 2 Timothy 4:7-8 says, ``I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.'' Reverend Joe C. Johnson, senior pastor of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Hallandale Beach, Florida, finished the race with his passing on May 25, 2018. He will certainly be missed by his loved ones and those of us honored enough to call him a friend. I had the pleasure of witnessing the profound impact that Reverend Johnson had throughout his four decades as pastor to one of the oldest churches in Broward County. His ministry was a cornerstone of a rich and vibrant faith community. Reverend Johnson bridged the gap between Hallandale Beach and Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church by hosting community events at the church. These events were so meaningful for his flock, and the larger community, that they were recognized for special commemoration on the occasion of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church's 101st Anniversary. Mr. Speaker, Reverend Johnson was a pillar of the community he loved, and his ultimate goal was helping people in all areas of their lives. He not only served as a leader to the members of his church, but as a counselor to local politicians, judges, and anyone who had the honor of knowing him. He also served as a chaplain for the Hallandale Beach Fire Department. Along with his extensive community engagement, Reverend Johnson sat on the board for the Hallandale Ministerial Association; the Florida East Coast Baptist Association; and Vision to Victory Human Services Corporation. Though no words can ease our sorrow, I offer my deepest sympathy to Reverend Johnson's wife, Emma Inez, his three children, four grandchildren, and countless friends who were impacted by the magnitude of his ministry. The legacy of Reverend Johnson will continue to live on throughout the countless individuals who were impacted by his calling to serve. Mr. Speaker, Reverend Joe C. Johnson is deserving of honor for his service to Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, and his dedication to the mentoring, and personal development of leaders within the greater Hallandale Beach area and Broward County. His service and commitment exemplify the positive contribution an individual can make to their profession and community. Reverend Johnson was a very dear friend. Words cannot express how much he will be missed.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me the customary 30 minutes for debate. Mr. Speaker, the underlying measures that are in this combined rule are matters of substance that do need to be addressed, and I will get back to it in a moment. Several of my colleagues will join me today in recognizing a historic moment in this particular body in this great country of ours. Madam Speaker, let me recognize that tucked inside this rule is the majority's 83rd and 84th closed rules of this Congress--and we are just in May--with more to go. That is a historic number because it makes the 115th Congress the most closed Congress ever. My Republican friends have made history for all the wrong reasons. But we should not let this milestone go unrecognized right from the very beginning, because it is a sad point in this Chamber's history. It is why we have ignored virtually every major issue the public cares about. It is why this Congress can't get anything done. It is why we are so dysfunctional. It is clear to me that the majority has turned a deaf ear, which is absolutely shameful. Please know this: 1,793 amendments offered by Members of this body have been denied. When I came to Congress in 1992, there was an echo chamber from the right talking about the Democrats' closed rules. Quite frankly, at that time, I did not understand that dynamic. I arrived here, and during that particular session of Congress, we did have open rules, but there were closed rules as well. When Nancy Pelosi was last Speaker, we had 12 open rules. This Speaker, our now lame-duck Speaker, up to this point, has been and is the only Speaker of the House of Representatives never to have an open rule. What that means is not just Democrats have been shut out but Republicans have been shut out. Day in and day out, night in and night out, in the Rules Committee, Members offer up meaningful suggestions to this Congress, and they are denied. That is not denying the Member of Congress; it is denying the people those persons are here to represent and who expect them to advance measures that are pertinent to their respective communities. There will be Members who will talk about the shamefulness of the kinds of amendments that have been denied. This particular measure authorizes $647 billion in base budget authority for defense programs in the coming fiscal year, as well as an additional $69 billion in overseas contingency operations. The legislation comes on the heels of the bipartisan budget agreement signed into law in February, which increased the budget caps for defense and nondefense spending for 2 years. The legislation provides, rightly, a 2.6 percent pay raise for Active-Duty troops, the highest such raise in 9 years. It strengthens the Military Health System, provides assistance to local educational agencies servicing military dependent students, and improves the Transition Assistance Program to provide servicemembers better tailored resources and information as they prepare to enter civilian life. I was glad to see that this NDAA establishes a prescription drug monitoring program in order to prevent opioid abuse within the military, a proactive step that will help our country combat drug addiction. What is important about this particular measure is the chairman, Chairman Thornberry, and the ranking member, Adam Smith, have worked together, along with the members of the Committee on Armed Services, to produce a bipartisan product. It proves it can be done. This is a bipartisan measure, and most Members in this body will have amendments that will be made in order and will have an opportunity to present their ideas how to better sustain military readiness. That is as it should be. But there are members of the Committee on Armed Services who belong to other committees of jurisdiction. In those committees of jurisdiction where few hearings are held, no bipartisan effort is undertaken, they are shut out just as well as the rest of the members of the other jurisdictions. Every jurisdiction in this Congress should be bipartisan and should have input from both parties. And I find it passing strange that I hear voices saying that Democrats are obstructionists. Obstructionists of what? We can't even get amendments made in order. The only thing we have left that we can do is voice our objection to the kind of closed process that we have witnessed during this particular session of Congress. I hope the American public understands how much their Members are being denied an opportunity to represent them. In terms of military readiness, the fiscal year 2019 NDAA dedicates substantial funding toward cutting-edge military capabilities and countering emerging threats through investments in cyber and space. The bill includes funding for thousands of additional Active-Duty troops and authorizes important funding for military construction and infrastructure. You know what it doesn't include and what it won't? There will be Members who will offer that we have an Authorization for Use of Military Force. Seventeen years have passed since we have had a new Authorization for Use of Military Force. Congress should be declaring war, not Presidents. And it doesn't mean this President. The three or four before him operating in this Congress were allowed to go forward under the aegis of a 17-years-ago Authorization for Use of Military Force. I was also pleased to see an improved commitment to Historically Black Colleges and Universities in this year's package--schools that are critical to ensuring a pipeline of highly skilled, diverse college graduates into the United States Armed Forces. This bill also takes significant steps to support our allies. It provides $6.3 billion for the European Deterrence Initiative and declares that it is the policy of the United States to counter Russian influence campaigns. The bill also imposes additional sanctions on Russia for violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and it renews authority in the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and fully funds Israeli missile defense partnerships. Madam Speaker, there is a lot that we can be proud of in this NDAA. Unfortunately, despite all of these important investments, there are a few provisions in this bill that raise serious concerns. I have already spoken to the failure to pass a new military-use-of- force measure. The one that we have is overly broad, and Members have never had an opportunity to vote on a new one, even as we commit to military engagements overseas. Members on both sides of the aisle agree that an up-or-down vote on a new AUMF is long overdue. So this is the time and the place to do it. My colleague Barbara Lee, I am sure, and my colleague on the Rules Committee Jim McGovern, I am sure, are going to offer measures that will accomplish that. I am also particularly alarmed that this legislation repeals the Federal ban on military production of low-yield nuclear weapons. Repealing this 15-year ban and pursuing low-yield nuclear warheads for submarine-launched ballistic missiles will have significant ramifications for global security. Additionally, the NDAA includes a number of provisions targeting DOD's fourth estate, which refers to nonmilitary portions of the Department of Defense. These provisions affect human resources, information systems, and other important services that affect the day- to-day lives of our servicemen and -women as well as national readiness. Under this bill, these offices are targeted with an unrealistic and unnecessary spending cut, setting up a sequester-like automatic 25 percent reduction to critical support functions. Madam Speaker, this brings me to the second measure, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act. Under the pretext of providing relief to community banks, this bill rolls back important financial and consumer protections and provides a giveaway to large Wall Street banks, allowing them to skirt enhanced regulations aimed at protecting our economy from another financial crisis. The third measure, the Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act, exposes more patients to harm and further sidelines the Federal Drug Administration's ability to oversee investigational treatments than the bill passed by the House in March. In fact, during the Rules Committee hearing in March, Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Walden and Health Subcommittee Chair and fellow Rules Committee member Burgess had reservations about this measure, which is why the House took up the more narrowly focused bill in the first place. Madam Speaker, last Friday, there was another school shooting. Again, America watched in horror as students and teachers fled their classrooms from a murderous gun rampage. Again, community leaders and government officials offered thoughts and prayers. Yesterday, we offered a moment of silence. Again, calls for stricter gun control laws and heightened school security returned. We all know that this will happen again to our young people. And for that reason, I can state emphatically and without fear of having to correct the Record that the Republican leadership of this House has not only abdicated their responsibility to the American people and our children but their common sense as well. No other country in the world has as many guns, as many homicides, or as many mass shootings as we do. There is simply no more time to waste. We need to be considering a ban on bump stocks. We need to be considering a ban on assault weapons. And don't anybody tell me we can't ban assault weapons. We did that when I first came to Congress. We banned assault weapons, and the kind of mass killings we have seen went down after we did that. We need to be considering protective orders allowing people to petition the court to temporarily remove firearms from an individual in crisis. We have seen evidence of that working when Florida passed its law. One week after that law went into effect, a person had his guns removed who would have been a harm to himself and to others. We need to be considering comprehensive background checks, and we can't stop there. We need to increase access to mental health services. We need to eliminate the feeling in this country that seeking help carries with it some sort of stigma. We need to learn to recognize the danger signs and offer a clear course of action. We need to teach students about conflict resolution. And we need to do more about civility in this Nation, in this House. And we should be its leaders, not standing and offering a moment of silence and returning to do nothing, as we have done, shooting after shooting, mass shooting after mass shooting, in this country. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Ted Lieu), a member of the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees, to discuss the commonsense issues that we all care about but have been blocked during this closed Congress.

Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), a member of the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees, to discuss the commonsense issues that we all care about but that have been blocked during this closed Congress.

Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), a member of the Financial Services Committee, to discuss the significance of this record-breaking closed rule and the real people affected by the GOP shutting down our democratic process.

Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, just to respond briefly to Mr. Burgess, it is a good thing that they made a handful of amendments in order that added up to 1,000. If we went through it, they would look like studies and things that were not significant; but when it came to the healthcare measures or when it came to tax reform, not one amendment by a Democrat was made in order. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), who is a member of the Appropriations Committee, to discuss the significance of this record-breaking closed Congress and real people affected by these closed rules.

Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes), who is a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to discuss our proposal.

Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, may I ask how much time both parties have remaining.

Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I am going to offer an amendment to the rule to bring up Representative Sarbanes' bill, H.R. 20, the Government by the People Act. This legislation would overhaul our broken campaign finance system and return to a government of, by, and for the American people. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment in the Record, along with extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez), a member of the Financial Services Committee, to continue the discussion of commonsense issues that we all care about but have been blocked during this closed Congress.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch), my good friend, a former member of the Committee on Rules who is now a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, to discuss the commonsense issues that we all care about that have been blocked during this closed Congress.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the ranking member of the Committee on Rules, my good friend, who also serves on the Committee on Agriculture, to discuss the significance of this record-breaking closed Congress and real people affected by these closed rules.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Republic of Azerbaijan on the 100th Anniversary of its independence, which occurred on May 28, 1918. On the adoption of its Declaration of Independence, what was then known as the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, became the first secular parliamentary democracy in the Muslim world. Since that time, Azerbaijan suffered an invasion by the Bolsheviks which led to the establishment of a Soviet government and ended with the forced incorporation of Azerbaijan into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). As the Soviet Union collapsed, the people of Azerbaijan readied themselves for yet another independence movement culminating in the restoration of their independence on August 30, 1991--the United States once again recognized Azerbaijan's independence on December 25, 1991. Since that Christmas Day over twenty-five years ago, the United States has supported the Republic of Azerbaijan's political independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders. Mr. Speaker, Azerbaijan has not only been a friend to the United States in our times of need, most notably after September 11, 2001, when Azerbaijan gave us their unconditional assistance in bringing to justice those who carried out that cowardly attack, but also to our dear friend Israel. Azerbaijan and Israel recently celebrated twenty- five years of strong diplomatic relations. A relationship that has seen great growth in trade between the two nations and an ever increasing dedication to strengthening energy security in the region. Mr. Speaker, I extend my sincerest congratulations to the people of Azerbaijan as they celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, as my colleague, Brad Schneider, just said, yesterday we held a moment of silence for those who were killed at Santa Fe High School. I have relatives and their children who live in Parkland, so these kinds of shootings affect us all. Everybody in this country knows that we have a gun epidemic in this country. We also know that we have a severe mental health crisis in our Nation. In my opinion, it is morally unjust for this Congress to do nothing. I own a gun. I believe in the Second Amendment. I would stand toe-to- toe with anyone who would urge that we take guns away from people, but I will stand with anyone who says that assault weapons should only be in the hands of military and police. I cannot understand how we continue to have these moments of silence and return to doing nothing. We don't have all of the answers, but we do have some of the answers, and to do nothing is morally bankrupt and legislative malpractice.