Daniel Kildee

Mr. KILDEE

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

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. This bill is yet another Republican attempt to delay the formation of critical regulations, including those we need to keep our communities safe. In addition, this bill actually prohibits agencies from publicly communicating to the American people about why a proposed regulation or action is beneficial, including vital information about the impact on public health. We cannot allow the underlying bill to impede the government's ability to share critical public health information. Mr. Speaker, my motion to recommit is pretty simple. It would allow agencies to provide critical information to the public in order to combat public health crises, like Zika, like opioid abuse, or like the lead poisoning that has been experienced in my hometown of Flint. I know what happens when we ignore or impede the ability to enforce regulations. Thousands of children in my hometown of Flint, Michigan, have suffered from lead poisoning. Even now, I know many Members on both sides of the aisle ask: How is it going in Flint? They often ask me: Is this crisis over; has it been settled? Today, a year after this crisis became public, 2 years after the State of Michigan switched Flint's drinking water source from the Great Lakes to the Flint River in order to save money, 2 years later, 2 years after lead has poured through the pipes into the bodies of children, you still can't drink the water in Flint. If you came to Flint today, you would see families still lugging bottled water from distribution sites into their homes to drink, to cook, to bathe their children in bottled water. In the 21st century, in the greatest country on Earth, the wealthiest nation ever imagined, we have a city of 100,000 people that can't drink the water that comes from the tap because it is poisoned. Federal standards require action if water gets above 15 parts per billion. Because the State of Michigan ignored the regulations and assured the public that the water was safe, we have levels in Flint that have been tested not at 15 parts per billion, 150 parts per billion, 1500 parts per billion, 23,000 parts per billion in the city of Flint today, a year after this crisis became public. How did this happen? It happened because State agencies decided that dollars and cents come before the health of people, ignored the regulations that are on the books, were prevented from explaining that to the people, and, in fact, told them a story that the water was safe. And a year later--a year later--the State has barely acted, sending Flint a get-well card. As many of you know, I have come to this well time and time again, imploring my colleagues to join me in providing some relief to the people of Flint. I came here with a lot of folks in 2012, when I was elected. In 2013, one of the first votes I cast on the floor of the House of Representatives was to provide help, much-needed help to the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Not my district, none of that money flowed to my district, but I was proud--I am still proud of that vote because I and so many of us stood with Americans who were facing the biggest struggle they ever faced. Yet, a year later, in this poor community, which in many ways has been left behind before, you still can't drink the water in Flint, and we can't get even a little help to try to rebuild this community. Look, time matters. We can't wait more months. Every day, every week that passes that this community does not get the help it needs just to make sure that this doesn't happen again, just to fix the distribution system, to replace some of those lead lines so that a year from now or 2 years from now this doesn't happen again and these children are poisoned again, at the very least, for God's sake, at the very least, we ought to be able to help this community provide its families with water that they can drink. That is all I am asking for. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, the water crisis in my hometown of Flint continues: a population of 100,000 people who, a year after this crisis, became well known, became public, and still can't drink their water. In Flint--just so my colleagues understand--a year later, people are still drinking from bottled water because of callous actions by the State government that led to the poisoning of a population of 100,000 people. Flint is a community in absolute crisis, facing a disaster, and you would expect there would have been immediate action, despite the fact that I have come to this podium time and time again. I have filed legislation. I have spoken to Members. I have spoken to leadership. And what do we get? A couple of hearings, and a lot of sympathy. We need action. The people of Flint deserve a response to this crisis that is equal to the gravity of the crisis. We have a way to get it done. A bipartisan bill that is moving through the Senate includes help for Flint. We need to take up this legislation, just like we need to take up legislation to deal with Zika and opioids and everything else. It is beyond my comprehension that this crisis could continue and we have yet to take action in the House of Representatives to address it.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, last week, Vice President Joe Biden said, ``We are facing a simple reality; we are not doing the people's most urgent business.'' He is right. It is long past time that we take up this staggering list of unfinished business in this House. The people in my hometown of Flint still can't drink the water that comes out of their tap, yet House Republicans have pushed off any meaningful action that would send help to this community in its moment of greatest need. Further, the CDC will run out of resources to fight Zika, with almost 17,000 Americans, including 1,600 pregnant women, infected. Republicans in Congress continue to put their own partisan messaging agenda ahead of fighting Zika, helping the kids of Flint, and even with the opioid epidemic killing 78 people a day. We lose 78 young people a day. No action. We have bipartisan approaches to all of these problems. This body is called together to do the people's work. We should take up this legislation, and we should do it now, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Dr. Samuel J. Shaheen and his family for their unwavering commitment to the betterment of their local community. The Shaheen family was selected as the 2016 recipient for the Community Philanthropy Award presented by the Council of Michigan Foundations, the Michigan Nonprofit Association and the Governor's office. The members of the family honored as recipients include Dr. Samuel Shaheen and his wife, Holly, brother and sister-in-law, Peter and Kari Shaheen, sister and brother-in-law, Sabrina and Kevin Cronin, and parents Patricia and the late Dr. Samuel ``Doc'' Shaheen. As the Member of Congress representing the Fifth District of Michigan, I am honored to have constituents like Dr. Samuel J. Shaheen and his family. Much can be said of the many charitable accomplishments of this wonderful family. The Temple Theatre, the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra, the Mid-Michigan Children's Museum and the Saginaw Art Museum have all benefitted so much as a result of Dr. Shaheen's personal contributions of time, effort, fundraising and selfless giving. Through his efforts with the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce and Saginaw Future, Sam has also worked diligently for the economic betterment of the local community--developing both a thriving surgical practice and building a dynamic real estate development company. These results have provided community leaders with inspiration, hope and an unprecedented level of optimism. Dr. Samuel J. Shaheen and his family are people of tremendous substance and accomplishment. Sam has vision and makes things happen through an unwavering commitment to achieving results for his community. The charitable impact he has made is immeasurable. Mr. Speaker, I applaud Dr. Samuel J. Shaheen and his family for their strong leadership and unyielding commitment to philanthropy.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Doris M. Jacques of Saginaw for her unwavering commitment to serving her community. The Michigan Community Service Commission will award Ms. Jacques the Governor George Romney Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors an individual, usually a senior citizen, who has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to community involvement and volunteer service. Ms. Jacques began her service career in the 1950's at St. Stephen's Church (now St. Dominic Parish) completing miscellaneous errands around the church, co-chaired the ``First Nighter's'' family entertainment series for 19 years, organized the first church library and served on the funeral luncheon ministry. The more Ms. Jacques involved herself in service, the more friends she made, the more she accomplished and the more sense of purpose she experienced. This led her to volunteer with the Volunteer Auxiliary at St. Mary's of Michigan hospital in 1960, where she is currently the longest serving volunteer with well over 50,000 hours. Ms. Jacques is a co-founder of the Hospital Gift Shop, frequented by hospital visitors, staff and community members seeking gifts and sundries. In 1981 she co-founded Timeless Treasures Thrift Store, dedicated to providing low-cost household and clothing items for the needy. During her 55 year tenure at the hospital, Ms. Jacques' inspiring leadership has helped raise $3.5 million through Auxiliary fundraisers, vendor sales, and sales proceeds from the Gift Shop and the Thrift Shop. These proceeds have been used by the hospital for major medical equipment purchases, two Cancer Care Vans and renovations. Mr. Speaker, I applaud Doris M. Jacques for her magnanimity and unyielding commitment to philanthropy.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Claressa Shields for her history-making accomplishments as an athlete and Olympian, and continued commitment to the State of Michigan and to my hometown of Flint, Michigan. Introduced to boxing at a young age, Claressa has built an impressive career that boasts, among many victories in national and world championships, two successive gold medals from the 2012 Olympics in London and 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. This feat makes her the first American, male or female, to win back-to-back gold medals in Boxing. On August 23, 2016, upon her return from the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, my home town of Flint welcomed home Claressa Shields in a celebration to spotlight her mark in history and inspiring story. Through her victories, Claressa has breathed life into the dreams of young athletes and individuals in Michigan and across the nation. She is a remarkable woman who credits her success, her journey, to hard work and her faith. Her support system has been a small group of dedicated individuals ranging from the coaches whom have driven her to victory, to her grandmother who taught her that gender could not hold her back. Now, Claressa, who describes herself as ``just a kid from Flint,'' is dedicating herself to supporting individuals, young and old, in Flint as they face the challenges of poverty, gun violence and the ongoing water crisis. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I submit Claressa Shields before the House as an example of not only a great athlete, but a great American. She represents the resilience of the American dream, and the strong, proud spirit of Flint, Michigan. I applaud Claressa for her dedication to her sport, and her dedication to our community. The change that she will effect has only begun.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing The Dope Project for the educational opportunities it has provided to Flint high school students. The Dope Project was founded in 2013 by Fred Walker to teach youth how to be business leaders of tomorrow. The Dope Project stands for The Development of Positive Energy Project. TDP allows high school students to interact with business leaders as if they were in the real workplace. The program offers six-week workshops to teach business, leadership, and life skills to students as well as expose them to future career opportunities. The most recent TDP workshop created a commercial for the city of Flint. The commercial was created by Flint teenagers and sends an inspiring message about unity. The message of the video focuses on fighting against labels and not giving up on the city of Flint. It is my honor to represent such active and inspiring young members of our community. The message shared by these Flint students and TDP instills hope in the community of Flint and anyone who views their video. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the work done by The Dope Project, Mr. Walker, and all the students involved in the program for their hard work and the services they have provided for the City of Flint.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a remarkable young woman from Flint, my hometown. Her name is Claressa Shields. Her accomplishments as an athlete and as an Olympian and continued commitment to our State and to our community really make us proud. Introduced to boxing at a young age, Claressa has built an impressive career that boasts two consecutive gold medals from the 2012 Olympics in London and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. That feat makes her the first American, male or female, to win back- to-back gold medals in boxing. She also made history in 2012 at the Olympics in London when she became the first American woman ever to win gold in boxing. Through her victories, Claressa has inspired the dreams of young people in Michigan and across the country. She is an extraordinary young woman who credits her success to hard work and to her faith. Claressa Shields represents the resilience of the American Dream and the strong, proud spirit of our mutual hometown of Flint. I applaud her for her dedication to her sport, and thank her for her dedication to our hometown. The good news is Claressa Shields is just getting started.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I think we all know that now more than ever it is critical that our next Commander in Chief is ready to walk into the Oval Office and be ready to lead on day one. Keeping Americans safe is the President's most solemn duty. That is why Americans need a strong and smart national security plan led by a Commander in Chief with experience, the highest respect for our troops, and with a level head. However, the Republican nominee for President has repeatedly proven he lacks the qualities it takes to lead our Nation and our Armed Forces. He has insulted veterans and Gold Star families while claiming he knows more about how to protect this Nation than our own military leadership. He has openly advocated torture, in contradiction to what our generals suggest. When presented with a Purple Heart by a wounded veteran, he responded by saying: ``I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier.'' Our military represents the absolute best of our country. In July, when we met the Khans, he ridiculed them. We need a Commander in Chief that commands the respect of the American people.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues and I return to Washington this week, I make a simple request: for this body to take up the public health crises that are facing this Nation. When I am here in Washington, I am sometimes asked by well-meaning people here on Capitol Hill if the Flint water crisis from my hometown is still going on. Back in Flint, there is no doubt--bottled water, filters, blood tests are still going on all the time. This tragedy in Flint continues. The people I represent back home still can't go to their tap and get water that is safe to drink, a city of 100,000 people. They are not just people who live in Michigan. They are not just Michiganders. They are Americans, too, and they have a right to have the Federal Government act at their moment of greatest need, at this moment of crisis. Just like aid to Flint, this body needs to act on other crises that are still taking place: the Zika virus, the epidemic of gun violence. People across America have a right to see their Congress act when facing these sorts of challenges. I call on my colleagues: Please, let's do our job and take up aid to these important efforts.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Mr. Claude Miller for his life of service, and artistic contributions to the State of Michigan and to my hometown of Flint, Michigan. On January 16, 2016, at the age of 74 years old Claude Miller died, leaving behind his wife and children. Throughout his long life, Claude was a testament to the community champions that form the foundations of our communities. Following an honorable discharge from service in the United States Air Force, Claude eventually settled in Flint, Michigan. There he dedicated his life to service as an advocate for the city he loved. A tireless volunteer, Claude was the very embodiment of the `Strong, Proud' spirit of Flint. Claude had a passion for art, spending much of his remaining free time drawing, painting and taking classes at Mott Community College. There he built a reputation for his artistic abilities and passion for his craft. Following his death, the college hosted an exhibition of his art titled, ``Faces, Places, and Spaces.'' One piece depicting President Barack Obama was featured among that collection. That piece has made the long journey to Washington, D.C. where it has been proudly displayed in my office for the last week, prior to being committed to the White House and the President. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the life of Claude Miller for his commitment to our community, and for his artistic contributions. His life reminds us that art and service can become the cornerstones of a community and a life well lived.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Officer Brandon Murphy for the service he has provided to Michigan's Fifth Congressional District and the Bay City community. Brandon Murphy is a recipient of the Police Officers Association of Michigan's (POAM) Police Officer of the Year Award. This honor was awarded following an encounter where Officer Murphy was injured by gunfire while successfully managing to apprehend a suspect and stop a violent crime spree. Officer Murphy's personal dedication to public safety at the cost of his own safety deserves the utmost honor, and a Police Officer of the Year Award is a worthy and deserving recognition for such an exemplary officer. It is my honor to represent such brave and honorable members of our community, and Officer Brandon Murphy is a shining example. The true measure of an exemplary public safety officer was exhibited by Officer Murphy when he sacrificed his own wellbeing in order to prevent the further victimization of the community he serves. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the work done by Officer Brandon Murphy and thank him for the service he has provided to our community.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, today, the Republicans are leaving Washington for almost 2 months--the longest congressional summer recess in nearly 60 years--and are abandoning Americans, who are counting on us to do what we have to do to protect them. There are serious public health crises in this country, and, right now, the GOP-led Congress continues to fail to do anything at all to protect the basic functions of government--to protect human life, to protect Americans. Families in my own hometown of Flint, Michigan, today, can't drink their water. They don't have access to clean drinking water. Rather than bringing up my bill, the Families of Flint Act, which would provide relief to those folks back home, who should be able to depend on their Federal Government when they are at their moment of greatest need, the Republican-led Congress is not only recessing but is recessing a day early--a day in which we could have taken up legislation to help the people of Flint. We could have taken up legislation to deal with the Zika virus. We could have taken up legislation for commonsense gun safety policy. This is what the Congress is charged with doing. This is our job. We should be here on the floor of the House doing it. I am pleased to be here with my colleagues, who are ready to go to work in order to deal with these big problems that our country faces.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member and the chairman of the committee and subcommittee for their work on this very important issue. This en bloc amendment includes two amendments that I offered that would provide specific relief to my hometown. Many of you have heard me on the floor of this House talk about the incredible challenge that my hometown of Flint, Michigan, faces. Through no fault of its own, during a time when a State-appointed emergency manager was literally running every aspect of city government, a terrible decision, a thoughtless and really not science- based decision was made to use river water to replace water from the Great Lakes as the drinking water source. That decision caused a series of events that led to lead leaching into the water and, quite literally, poisoning a city of 100,000 people. The impact of this event will be long felt in my hometown. We all have an obligation. Even though the principal responsibility lies with the State, we all have an obligation to contribute to the efforts that this city will painfully go through in order to recover. The amendments within this en bloc amendment that I offered will help. The committee has already done great work to provide some flexibility to States in administering the clean drinking water revolving loan fund, the state revolving loan fund, which in this case would provide the State of Michigan with tools to assist the City of Flint in making the kinds of changes to its water system to prevent this from ever happening again and correct the problem in the first place. There is another amendment that would actually allow the city some help in transitioning to a permanent water source derived from Lake Huron and away from dependence on either the Detroit water system or this river water, which was the source of the problem. I will just say this: It will take a lot more to fix this problem and a lot of commitment from the State and the Federal Government, but it means a lot to the people back home. I just want to express my gratitude to the ranking member and to Chairman Calvert for their work on this. It will help my hometown of Flint, but it will also potentially be of value to other communities facing water emergencies. I urge my colleagues to support this en bloc amendment.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, last week we all woke up to the horrific news of violence in Baton Rouge, in Falcon Heights, and then the terrible events that unfolded in Dallas, where members of their police department were gunned down protecting individuals who were actually standing up to protest. The police officers stood between them and a dangerous person with a dangerous weapon, and many--five members--lost their lives. This week we mark 1 month since the worst mass shooting in the history of our country. An act of hate, an act of terror that ended 49 lives. That is 49 friends, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, and daughters. They left behind communities of people who will never be the same without them. One of those 49 was Tevin Crosby of Saginaw, Michigan, in my district. Tevin was just 25 years old. He was on a trip visiting family in North Carolina and then went to Florida to see some friends and colleagues. He was a young businessowner, a rising star, according to his friends. An employee at his company told the Saginaw News that Tevin was always smiling, always positive. This pattern of violence can't be ignored. It demands change. We are better than this. We can do better than this. In this body, in this House of Representatives, we must do better. No one piece of legislation would prevent every shooting, but if it could prevent one, we should act. Three weeks ago, I joined my colleagues on the floor of this House as we sat down to stand up and say that we had had enough. We demanded, and continue to demand, a vote on commonsense legislation to prevent gun violence. When the majority adjourned in the middle of the night and went home, we didn't stop. We took our message to every corner of the country. At home in Michigan, I joined with my congressional delegation, my Democratic colleagues, to meet with our constituents and talk with them about what more we can do in Washington to prevent gun violence. I heard Michiganders talk about what that sort of violence means in their own neighborhoods. Gun violence happens in mass shootings like we saw in Orlando, but it also occurs every single day across our country. In cities like my hometown of Flint, we see gun violence every single week on our streets, in our neighborhoods. It is our duty in Congress to keep Americans safe and to work toward decreasing gun violence back home. Our constituents are literally dying because it is too easy for dangerous people to get their hands on a gun, and we have a moral responsibility to act. I have been inspired by the people back in Michigan. I met with moms and dads, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, faith leaders, elected officials, law enforcement officials, and community activists. They have all come together, joined their voices, calling for a vote on commonsense legislation to prevent gun violence. When we go home, people are asking: Why aren't you voting to make sure suspected terrorists and dangerous criminals can't buy a gun? Well, the reason is simple. It is because the Republican majority is held captive by the gun lobby. It is that simple. The fact that they are petrified of a single organization keeps them from acting. We are sick of it, and we are not going to stand for it. What we are asking for, what we are demanding, is a vote on just two commonsense pieces of legislation that have the support of more than 80 percent of Americans. People in Michigan have made it clear they want Congress to act, and I am sure this is true all across the country: act to prevent suspected terrorists from buying deadly weapons; act to make sure that, if a person purchases a gun, they should have to go through a background check no matter how they purchase that weapon. We can't just express our grief on the floor of this House and then not act on real, meaningful action to prevent gun violence. We must step up as a Congress and do our job and pass strong, smart legislation that will keep our country safe.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in demanding votes on two commonsense, bipartisan pieces of legislation that are overwhelmingly supported by the American people. First, without a completed background check, we cannot identify criminals, domestic abusers, and other individuals too dangerous to own a gun. Right now, Federal law only requires criminal background checks at federally licensed gun dealers. Criminals can bypass the background check system altogether by going online or to a gun show. H.R. 1217, the bipartisan King-Thompson bill, closes this loophole, requiring background checks for all commercial gun sales regardless of where the sale is made. Second, if you are too dangerous to fly, you are too dangerous to buy a gun in America. When it is easier for a suspected terrorist to buy a gun than board a plane, something is wrong. H.R. 1076, the bipartisan no fly, no buy legislation, authored in part by Congressman Peter King, would prevent suspected terrorists from purchasing guns. Congress must act on these very simple, straightforward, bipartisan bills.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, my heart breaks, as do the hearts of my colleagues, over the terrible tragedy that took place last night and for the victims of the horrific violence that we have seen in the last few days and weeks. We are better than this. We can do better than this. In this body, we must do better than this.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, to honor the memory of Cederrius Hastings, a victim of gun violence who never received a moment of silence on the floor of the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano), the ranking member of the subcommittee.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chair, this amendment offered by myself and my colleagues would strike section 625 of this bill and, if adopted, would allow the SEC to write regulations requiring corporations to disclose their political contributions. This amendment would not require the SEC to regulate political disclosure. It would simply allow them to do so if they deem it something that would be necessary or important so that investors and citizens and voters know where the tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of dollars spent by corporations are going to affect the outcome of elections. The Supreme Court decision in Citizens United has opened the floodgate for corporations to spend an unlimited amount of money, affecting our democracy in ways that we, as citizens, can never find out about, that we can never determine, dramatically affecting the outcome of elections, often spending more money than any other candidate or any other political party. Knowledge is power, and the American citizens have the right to know how corporations are spending money to affect the outcome of elections. This amendment would allow the SEC to write regulations that would allow for that kind of disclosure. This democracy should not be for sale. Transparency is the key. The citizens of this country have a right to know and to understand how money is affecting the outcome of their elections. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to add my voice to the millions calling on Congress to protect the American people. It is impossible to ignore the terrible reality that gun violence is just far too common in this country. The most recent shooting in Orlando, the deadliest mass shooting in our history, is a tragic reminder that Congress has yet to take action to protect the American people. That is why, 2 weeks ago, I and a number of my colleagues sat down on the floor of this House to stand up and say that we have had enough. That is why I went home to Michigan and stood with my own constituents back home to call for commonsense gun action. It is simple, simply requiring that a person who is on the terrorist watch list, too dangerous to purchase an airplane ticket, should not be able to walk into any shop and buy a gun at any time, for any purpose. It is also a commonsense provision the American people support. We should close the loophole on background checks so that all weapon purchases are subject to a background check, rather than bringing false bills written by the NRA. It is far too long. We need to act. I call on Congress to act.