Jim McGovern

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1300 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Reschenthaler), my good friend, pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, the Committee on Rules met and reported a rule, House Resolution 1300, waiving clause 6(a) of rule XIII requiring a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on the same day it is reported from the Committee on Rules against any resolution reported through the legislative day of July 29, 2022. The rule also allows certain legislation to qualify for the Consensus Calendar before the end of Congress. Madam Speaker, we are here on a same-day rule, which I hope will give us the opportunity to address a critical and urgent issue: gun violence in America. We are here because gun violence is destroying communities, tearing apart families, and making our streets less safe. This majority is going to try to do every single thing we possibly can to stop it. I don't know whether we will succeed, but we are going to try. Democrats actually passed the Safer Communities Act, the first piece of major gun safety legislation in decades, and we sent it to President Biden's desk. We are taking action. We are getting things done, and we are trying to save lives. Contrast that with what Republicans did to address gun violence and crime the last time they were in charge, which is absolutely nothing. Their answer to gun violence is more guns, and if that is not enough, even more guns. For God's sake, America already has more guns than people. How many guns do we need until everybody is safe? I get it. My Republican friends are going to complain about the process. They are going to complain about same-day authority, even though they used it themselves, but let's not go there because we want to have a productive debate here. The reality is this: This is the last day before the district work period, and this is urgent work. Now, let me tell you, as chairman of the House Committee on Rules, I want to do whatever I can to get us to vote on and pass an assault weapons ban because I am sick and tired of the mass shootings and the terror and the fear. I am sick and tired of shattered families having to grieve. Enough is enough. I am going to do everything I can to get this bill passed, and I am not going to apologize for that. This rule preserves that option. If it means that we stay here a little bit longer today, so be it. We need to act with urgency. Let me just say, for the record, the assault weapons bill that we may possibly consider today went through regular order. The Committee on the Judiciary had a hearing; it was marked up. If we decide to bring it to the floor today, which I hope we will, the Committee on Rules will meet, and we will debate this, and we will vote on this. But let me just say to everybody: We have an obligation to act with urgency. We have a responsibility to address this crisis. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, the gentleman used the words that we are opening the door. Opening the door to what? My friends used this all the time when they were in charge. We learned this from you. I just want to say that, for the record. As I have said, I am not the biggest fan of same-day authority, but it exists for a reason. In December 2018, when the Democrats were in the minority, I actually voted for a rule providing for same-day authority. I stood here and urged my Democrat colleagues to support the rule. More Republicans voted ``no'' on that rule than Democrats, believe it or not. Madam Speaker, we are about to break for a, hopefully, productive district work period, and this rule provides us with a little extra time and flexibility to be able to consider measures that are critical to our public safety. I hope that this rule paves the way for us to bring up an assault weapons ban. That is what I hope this rule does, and I think that is urgent. I want to do everything I possibly can to get that bill to the floor and get it passed. The gentleman quoted me, and let me quote me, too. With regard to the same-day authority, I said on the House floor: ``This House needs to move quickly and responsibly. Everyone understands that, so I will simply say that I will be voting for this rule. I urge my colleagues to do the same, so we can finish our business and prevent another government shutdown.'' That was when you were in charge. That was what I said in response to when you brought up a same-day rule. So, nobody is opening the door. You opened that door a long time ago. But I am going to say, again, if this paves the way for us to be able to bring up an assault weapons ban, I am not apologizing at all. I want to get that legislation to the floor. I want to have that debate. I want to have a vote on it. People are dying all over this country. They are sick of our inaction. It is time to act. Enough is enough. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, let me just say that I think as everybody knows, Democrats are focused on inflation. Tackling inflation is certainly our top priority. Let's take a look at the facts. We passed the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act to bring down costs to families, and almost every Republican voted no. We passed the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act, but not a single Republican voted with us. What is the Republican solution on inflation? Who the hell knows? They haven't offered any policy ideas. They seem content cheering for President Biden to fail and for inflation to go up. In fact, Leader McConnell is holding hostage a bill to lower costs for families and to deal with the issue of prescription drugs. The only plan I have seen from the GOP is from Senator Rick Scott, Republican, which would raise taxes on the middle class--raise taxes on the middle class--and put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block. That is the same old same old from my friends on the other side. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record an MSNBC opinion article titled: ``The GOP keeps slamming Biden over inflation, but it has no solutions to offer.'' [From MSNBC, June 21, 2022] The GOP Keeps Slamming Biden Over Inflation, But It Has No Solutions To Offer (By Dean Obeidallah) Republicans want you to believe that inflation in the United States is not part of a global problem but is 100 percent, President Joe Biden's fault. Just check out their recent over-the-top rhetoric. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has blamed Biden for ``creating raging inflation.'' In a tweet, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called inflation ``#BidenFlation,'' saying it was caused by Biden's policies. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., even made a speech on the Senate floor last week focused on inflation, in which he detailed the rising prices of goods, gas, etc., all leading to the crescendo that it was Biden and the Democrats' fault. What the GOP has left out of all its speeches, television appearances and tweets slamming Biden is even a hint of a proposal to reduce prices. But what the GOP has left out of all its speeches, television appearances and tweets slamming Biden is even a hint of a proposal to reduce prices. Even worse than the GOP not having a plan of its own, though, is Republicans' determination to block Biden's efforts to help Americans. They've opposed his agenda to lower child care costs, create affordable housing and more. Biden made that very point in his June 14 speech about his plans to address inflation, in which he declared that ``Republicans in Congress are doing everything they can to stop my plans to bring down costs on ordinary families.'' There's no disputing that prices in our nation rose 8.6 percent in May since last year at that time, the highest rate since 1981. Food prices have risen over 10 percent since May 2021, and gas prices have skyrocketed. Just about everything we use on a daily basis costs more. Biden candidly acknowledged this reality in last week's speech, noting that inflation is ``sapping the strength of a lot of families.'' He said he understands firsthand what this is like, noting that when he was a child growing up in a blue-collar family, ``it mattered if the price of food went up.'' A convergence of issues has caused this spike in inflation. The well-documented supply chain issues that followed Covid shutdowns drove up prices. Some of it was fueled by us, consumers who unleashed our pent-up demand to travel and buy goods after things reopened. More demand equals higher prices. Russia's attack on Ukraine added to higher gas prices, which contribute to higher prices for goods, since it costs more to transport them. This is in no way a Biden-caused problem--unless Republicans are telling us he caused inflation worldwide, which they very well might say before November. A Pew Research Center report released just last week documented that in 37 of the 44 nations with ``advanced economies,'' the ``average annual inflation rate in the first quarter of this year was at least twice what it was in the first quarter of 2020.'' In fact, the United States during the first quarter of this year was 13 of 44 in terms of inflation, far eclipsed by countries such as Italy, Israel, Spain, Greece and Turkey. This leads us to the hard reality that there's no easy solution for inflation; if there were, Biden would've flipped that switch months ago. And cynical Republicans know that. At least Biden does have a plan, which, like the causes of inflation, is multifaceted. With respect to gas prices, in addition to releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to increase supplies, the president last week sent a letter to U.S. oil companies demanding that they increase the production of oil and to stop unfairly profiting on Americans' need for gas. He even threatened to ``use all reasonable and appropriate Federal Government tools and emergency authorities to increase refinery capacity and output in the near term.'' In his speech last week, Biden noted that on food costs, he was ``working closely with our European partners to get 20 million tons of grains locked in Ukraine out onto the market to help bring down food prices.'' The president also explained his efforts to reduce other household costs to offset the higher gas and food prices, such as capping the cost of insulin at $35--a bill for which passed the House in March but still has not passed the Senate due to lack of Republican support. So where is the GOP plan to address inflation? Republicans have had plenty of time to come up with one, given that they have been screaming since last summer that Biden caused inflation. Here's the best I can find: In May, Sen. Rick Scott, R- Fla., the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, laid out his plan. ``The most effective thing Joe Biden can do to solve the inflation crisis he created is resign,'' Scott said. Then there's McCarthy, who earlier this month offered the following proposal as his ``solution'' to rising costs: ``I call on Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats to hold a prime-time hearing on the out-of-control inflation their policies have created.'' Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., the third-ranking member of the House GOP, isn't even pretending her party has a plan. She recently said of inflation, ``House Republicans will address these crises when we earn back control of the House this November.'' Sure, America, let's trust the party of tax cuts for the wealthy to look out for the rest of us. We all get how politics works. The party out of power blames the party in power for everything that's bad. But in this case, inflation is directly impacting the lives of all Americans. It's time Democrats and the media press every Republican who blames Biden for inflation to answer this simple question: What is the GOP plan to reduce it? Americans deserve an answer.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, since my friends want to change the subject, let's change the subject. Republicans right now, as we are meeting here, over in the Senate are trying to kill the PACT Act, a bill to guarantee healthcare to veterans with service-related cancers. This is a bill that passed the Senate originally 84-14, and it passed the House with a majority vote of 342. Many of my Republican colleagues supported that. I appreciate that. But now Republicans are trying to kill it and play politics with it over in the Senate. They are putting politics ahead of people when, in fact, we should be putting people ahead of politics. So while we are here having this conversation, I would urge my Republican friends to pick up the phone and call your counterparts in the Senate and say: Get out of the way and do what is right for our veterans. My office is getting calls from veterans who were exposed to burn pits when they were overseas. I am sure my Republican friends are getting calls in their offices. You don't have to agree on everything, but I thought we all agreed on this. Can we please tell Mitch McConnell and tell the Republicans to get out of the way and allow this bill to go forward? That might be a good use of time right now while we are having this conversation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, let me just say that I really enjoyed listening to my friends on the other side of the aisle. They are opposed to this rule because the process will expedite progress on behalf of the American people. Yet they are not outraged over using process to block progress for the American people. Again, since we are changing the subject, I didn't hear anything about the veterans who right now are desperately pleading with Republicans in the Senate to pass the PACT Act. The gentleman even got extra time and didn't mention that at all. Again, I would urge my Republicans, as we are still here today, before you leave, call Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, call your Republican counterparts in the Senate, and say: please pass the PACT Act. Please do that now. Our veterans who are suffering from cancer as a result of their service and being exposed to burn pits are desperately pleading with my Republican friends to stop blocking it. Do you want to be outraged about something today? Be outraged about that. So, again, I would urge that they do something. Many of my colleagues on the Republican side supported the PACT Act when it came before the House. A majority of Republicans in the Senate voted to support it; but now they are putting politics ahead of people. It should be reversed. Put people ahead of politics. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. So, Madam Speaker, I don't know who that guy who was yelling is, but I would refer him to my earlier comments on all the things that we are doing to combat inflation and the stuff that we will be rolling out in the days ahead. But I would urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to go over to the Senate and yell at Mitch McConnell so that we can help our veterans. I mean, it is unconscionable that, as we are gathering here right now, Republicans in the Senate are blocking a bill to provide care for veterans exposed to burn pits who have cancer. I mean, what is going on here? I mean, people who are responsible for that are unfit to serve in the United States Congress, quite frankly. Do you want to be outraged about something? Be outraged about that at this moment. And we also should be outraged at the alarming rate of gun violence in this country. And my hope is that this same-day rule will pave the way for the Rules Committee to meet and to bring forward a ban on assault weapons so we can save lives in this country. So that is what this is all about today. But, again, with all of the yelling and screaming, please go over to the other Chamber and yell and scream at them because right now a lot of our veterans are concerned that they will succeed in killing a bill that will provide them healthcare that they desperately need. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The gentleman said we should let the Senate do its work. Exactly. The Senate Republicans are blocking the Senate from doing its work. What do my friends not understand? Veterans with cancer are depending on Republicans to get out of the way so they can get the care that they, quite frankly, are entitled to, that they deserve. It passed overwhelmingly originally in the Senate. It passed overwhelmingly in the House. But Senate Republicans are playing politics with the lives of our veterans. I am outraged by that. Maybe my friends on the other side are not, but we ought to be demanding that they move immediately. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. So, Madam Speaker, the gentleman who just spoke was yielded time again, and again, didn't say anything about the veterans who are getting screwed by Senate Republicans right now in the other Chamber. Right now, we should take our outrage and we should demand that Republicans get out of the way. And, by the way, to my friend from Pennsylvania, I just went back and I read the transcript of what our exchange was in the Rules Committee, and I think I was pretty clear. When I am looking at the transcript, I was asked last night, you know, why we needed this authority, and I said it was to consider public safety bills. I was further asked if we would use it to consider gun legislation, and I said, yes, potentially. Now, I don't know whether it is my Massachusetts accent or what, but I think I was pretty clear about what we were going to bring to the floor today. And, again, I hope that we will follow through with what I said yesterday. So this idea that, oh, I didn't know--and by the way, there are times, as I said at the opening, when same-day authority is, to me, necessary. There are other times when it is not. And when the Republicans were in charge and they used it for frivolous things, yeah, I objected to it. But when they used it in an attempt to try to keep government open, I favored it. So I don't know what the gentleman is talking about, hypocrisy. I mean, I have been in favor of it when I was in the minority, and I have been opposed to it when I was in the minority. So it all depends on the circumstances. I think maybe my Republican friends have trouble with nuance and trying to understand the complexities of the system here. But I am totally comfortable with my position, past, and present. And by the way, if this same-day authority means that we can bring up an assault weapons ban, I don't apologize to anybody. I don't apologize to anybody. I think it is the right thing to do. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I don't think it is appropriate for my Republican friends to lecture us on hypocrisy. The last time the Republicans were in charge of this place, they ran it into the ground. When Republicans were in charge, they broke the record for the most closed Congress in the history of the United States of America. When Republicans were in charge and our country was on the brink of a shutdown, the Rules Committee, under Republican control, held an emergency meeting. Do you know what that emergency meeting was on? Not on emergency funding but on cheese, actually, as we were about to shut the government down. We had a major crisis, and they did an emergency meeting on cheese. They couldn't even get their act together to keep the lights on. They literally lost the majority because of how badly they ran this place, and then they handed us a shutdown of government, the longest shutdown in history, by the way. That cost American taxpayers $11 billion. When Republicans were in charge, I voted to give them same-day authority. I stood on this floor and urged my Democratic colleagues to support the rule because I wanted to give us extra flexibility to do the work the American people had asked us to do. Republicans ran this place like a dictatorship, and then they tried to turn our country into one on January 6, 2021, a day that will live forever in history as a date that a twice-impeached ex-President and Republicans tried to unconstitutionally overturn a free and fair election and subvert the will of the American people in an attempted coup. So, please do not lecture us about Democratic process or any process at all. Do not lecture us on hypocrisy. I said last night in the Rules Committee what I hoped we would bring forward today, and I still hope we will move forward on an assault weapons ban. Do you know why? Because people in this country are being massacred, and they are tired of thoughts and prayers. They are tired of press releases in which we say that our hearts are with the families of those who were killed. They want action. The question is whether or not we can deliver on what the American people want. Do you want to talk about outrage? I am outraged by the gun violence in this country. I am outraged that an 18-year-old who can't legally have a sip of beer can go into a gun store and buy an AR-15 and then go out and kill people, massacre people. Enough of this. This rule preserves the option, if we decide to move forward, to be able to move forward. That is what this is all about. We can talk about whatever you want to talk about, but the bottom line is that is what this rule does. We have an obligation to act with urgency. We have a responsibility to address this crisis. The material previously referred to by Mr. Reschenthaler is as follows: Amendment to House Resolution 1300 At the end of the resolution, add the following: Sec. 3. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the bill (H.R. 8589) to prohibit the Securities and Exchange Commission from finalizing the proposed rule titled ``The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors''. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The bill shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial Services; and (2) one motion to recommit. Sec. 4. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 8589.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1302 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Reschenthaler), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, today the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 1302, providing for consideration of H.R. 1808, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022, under a closed rule. The rule self-executes a manager's amendment from Chairman Nadler. It provides 1 hour of debate equally divided by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary and provides one motion to recommit. Madam Speaker, we have a gun violence crisis in this country, 23 years after Columbine High School, 10 years after Sandy Hook Elementary School, 4 years after Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and 2 months after Uvalde and Buffalo. The American people are tired of living in fear. They are tired of thoughts and prayers. They are tired of press releases offering sympathy but no solutions. Last month, the decades-long logjam on passing commonsense gun safety bills was broken. President Biden signed into law the bipartisan Safer Communities Act to help keep guns out of the hands of criminals. Why? Because the American people want to see us act. For decades, that hasn't happened. The gun lobby has had an iron grip on this place. But now, finally, that is changing. It is changing because the American people are demanding change, and it is time for all of us to listen. We can and must do more, which is why, today, we are considering H.R. 1808, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022. Now, I want to be crystal clear for everyone who is watching. This bill is not taking away anybody's guns. This bill is not about taking away anybody's constitutional rights. The Second Amendment gives Americans the right to own guns, but no right is unconditional or unlimited. You have the right to free speech, but you don't have the right to shout ``fire'' in a crowded movie theater. You have the right to keep and bear arms, but you don't have the right to own weapons being used to mow people down indiscriminately. Rights come with responsibilities, and we have a responsibility to try and stop mass shootings. As Members of Congress, we have a duty to weigh the rights of gun owners with the very first right mentioned in the Declaration of Independence: the right to live; the right to not get shot at school or at a place of worship or at a concert. It takes zero courage to hide behind the Second Amendment and not debate the merits here. You know what takes courage? Standing up to the gun lobby, putting people over politics. That takes courage, and that is what we are doing here today. Rounds that come out of assault weapons are traveling up to four times faster than out of a handgun. They are traveling at incredible speed and inflict immense damage on people's bodies. When combined with high-capacity magazines, they are designed to kill as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. Assault weapons do not belong on our streets, plain and simple. An assault weapon was used in Las Vegas to kill 60 people. An assault weapon was used at the Pulse Nightclub to kill 49 people. An assault weapon was used at Sandy Hook to kill 26 people, including 20 children. Assault weapons slaughter people. They decimate bodies. Physicians say that an AR-15 can actually ``liquefy your organs'' because the projectile is traveling so fast. This does not happen with a typical handgun. This is something unique to assault weapons. Sixty-seven percent of Americans, including half of all Republicans, support a ban on assault weapons. This is not a radical idea. We are not in uncharted territory. The Government already bans automatic weapons. Why? Because they have no place in our communities. You don't need an automatic weapon to defend yourself. What we are proposing today is simply addressing another class of weapons that have no place in our communities: assault weapons. The 1994 assault weapons ban was associated with a 25 percent drop in gun massacres and a 40 percent drop in fatalities. This should not be a difficult vote. Let's come together and advance this commonsense legislation that could save thousands of lives. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, the gentleman talks about statistics. Let's talk about statistics. Thirty percent of shootings in recent history have involved guns that were banned under the now-expired 1994 assault weapons ban. Thirteen killed and 23 injured at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The attackers used an assault weapon. Twenty-seven killed and one injured at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. That was in December of 2012. The attacker used an assault weapon. Forty-nine killed and 53 injured at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, June 2016. The attacker used an assault weapon. Fifty-eight killed and 887 injured at a country music festival in Las Vegas in October of 2017. The attacker used an assault weapon. Seventeen killed and 17 injured at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in February 2018. The alleged attacker used an assault weapon. I could go on and on. Twenty-three killed and 26 injured at a Walmart in El Paso in August 2019. The attacker used an assault weapon. Ten killed and one injured at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, in March of 2021. The attacker used an assault weapon. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record this list of incidents involving assault weapons. 30 Percent of Shootings Involved Guns That Were Banned Under the Now- Expired 1994 Federal Assault-Weapons Law 13 killed and 23 injured at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. (April 1999) The attackers used an assault weapon. 7 killed at an office in Wakefield, Mass. (Dec. 2000) The attacker used an assault weapon. 4 killed and 4 injured at a factory in Melrose Park, Ill. (Feb. 2001) The attacker used an assault weapon. 5 killed and 2 injured in multiple locations in Sacramento (Sept. 2001) The attacker used an assault weapon. 6 killed and 2 injured in a rural hunting area in Birchwood, Wis. (Nov. 2004) The attacker used an assault weapon. 8 killed and 5 injured at a mall in Omaha (Dec. 2007) The attacker used an assault weapon. 4 killed and 5 injured at a youth center and a church in Arvada, Colo. (Dec. 2007) The attacker used an assault weapon. 4 killed in a parking lot in Mt. Airy, N.C. (Nov. 2009) The attacker used an assault weapon. 4 killed and 7 injured at an IHOP restaurant in Carson City, Nev. (Sept. 2011) The attacker used an assault weapon. 12 killed and 70 injured at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo. (July 2012) The attacker used an assault weapon. 27 killed and 1 injured at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. (Dec. 2012) The attacker used an assault weapon. 5 killed and 3 injured in multiple locations in Santa Monica, Calif. (June 2013) The attacker used an assault weapon. 5 killed and 2 injured at two military centers in Chattanooga, Tenn. (July 2015) The attacker used an assault weapon. 14 killed and 22 injured at a social services center in San Bernardino, Calif. (Dec. 2015) The attackers used an assault weapon. 49 killed and 53 injured at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. (June 2016) The attacker used an assault weapon. 5 killed and 7 injured during a protest in Dallas (July 2016) The attacker used an assault weapon. 58 killed and 887 injured at a country music festival in Las Vegas (Oct. 2017) The attacker used an assault weapon. 25 killed and 20 injured at a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas (Nov. 2017) The attacker used an assault weapon. 5 killed and 12 injured in multiple locations in Rancho Tehama Reserve, Calif. (Nov. 2017) The attacker used an assault weapon. 4 killed and 1 injured at a car wash in Saltlick Township, Pa. (Jan. 2018) The attacker used an assault weapon. 17 killed and 17 injured at a high school in Parkland, Fla. (Feb. 2018) The alleged attacker used an assault weapon. 4 killed and 4 injured at a Waffle House in Nashville (April 2018) The attacker used an assault weapon. 11 killed and 6 injured at a synagogue in Pittsburgh (Oct. 2018) The alleged attacker used an assault weapon. 23 killed and 26 injured at a Walmart in El Paso (Aug. 2019) The alleged attacker used an assault weapon. 9 killed and 37 injured outside a bar in Dayton, Ohio (Aug. 2019) The attacker used an assault weapon. 7 killed and 23 injured in multiple locations in Odessa, Texas (Aug. 2019) The attacker used an assault weapon. 4 killed and 3 injured at a kosher market in Jersey City, N.J. (Dec. 2019) The attackers used an assault weapon. 4 killed and 3 injured at a gas station in Springfield, Mo. (March 2020) The attacker used an assault weapon. 10 killed and 1 injured at a grocery store in Boulder, Colo. (March 2021) The alleged attacker used an assault weapon. 8 killed and 7 injured at a FedEx warehouse in Indianapolis (April 2021) The attacker used an assault weapon. 10 killed and 3 injured at a grocery store in Buffalo (May 2022) The alleged attacker used an assault weapon. 21 killed and 17 injured at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas (May 2022) The attacker used an assault weapon.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Ross), a distinguished member of the Committee on Rules.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me just respond to the gentlewoman by saying that the manager's amendment adds language to make clear that devices used to make hunting accessible to everyone, especially our disabled veterans, are not affected by this legislation. This provision also makes sure the gun industry cannot exploit legitimate accessibility devices to make firearms especially deadly for mass shooters as has occurred in the past when bump stocks were claimed to be an accessibility accessory but used to inflict horrible mass violence in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting that killed 60 and injured more than 400 people. And I say to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, I didn't use the words ``weapon of war'' in my opening statement, and I certainly know the difference between an automatic and a semiautomatic weapon, but if that is the argument you want to have, bring that to the parents whose children were lost in Uvalde, you know, who were mowed down by an AR- 15. As I pointed out in my opening statement, these weapons actually decimate bodies. Physicians say that an AR-15 can actually liquify your organs because the projectile is traveling so fast. As the gentleman may recall, DNA samples had to be gathered from those children who were murdered because their bodies were unrecognizable. So, I mean, come on. This is about saving lives. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me just say something to my friend from Pennsylvania. You know, maybe it is true that the military doesn't use AR-15s, but I will say to the gentleman that mass shooters do. We saw what an AR-15 can do in Uvalde. We saw what it can do in Buffalo. I just remind people when you have these kind of debates that people are watching. You know, the parents who lost their children in Uvalde, they are watching. People who have lost ones to mass shootings all around this country are watching. You know, to try to parse words over, well, you know, it is not a military-style weapon or this or that or whatever when we know what these weapons can do, that little children had to be identified with DNA samples because their bodies were blown apart. You know, you want to talk about extreme positions? We just had a Rules Committee meeting, and Mr. Massie testified before the Rules Committee. You may recall the back and forth between him and Mr. Raskin when Mr. Raskin essentially asked him whether or not machine guns should be legal, and Mr. Massie responded by saying, well, I think States should make that determination. So that means that if a State wanted to make machine guns legal, it is somehow okay? So you want to talk about extremism? We have seen what extremism is all about from many of my friends on the other side of the aisle, and we have seen the power of the gun lobby, the blood money that has poured into campaigns that has resulted in people coming to the floor and making these ridiculous arguments for us to do nothing. So this is a moment when people have to stand up and be counted. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.