Jared Polis

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I was truly hoping that the motion by Ms. Titus would be accepted because, frankly, Ms. Titus' unanimous consent request would have saved lives, prevented convicted felons from acquiring firearms and would have prevented people on the terrorist watch list from silently assembling arsenals for them to commit terrorist acts in our country. While I am disappointed that Ms. Titus' unanimous consent request was rejected out of hand, I yield to--and I am hopeful that the gentleman from Alabama will accept--the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson) for the purpose of a very important unanimous consent request.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, a point of parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I point out, on my own time, that granting this request does not take away from considering the other two underlying bills. They, too, will be considered, but it simply means that these additional two bills to reduce gun violence, preventing terrorists from assembling arsenals legally in our own country, and making sure that convicted felons can't legally acquire firearms, are common sense. I think they would pass this House fairly overwhelmingly. We are simply saying, in addition to the bills that are already being considered--which some of us may personally be opposed to in the case of NDAA, but we are not standing in the way of those. We are simply allowing for the consideration of these additional bills. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of a unanimous consent request only, I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty).

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, a point of parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I want to be clear that the various speakers have not embellished to this point; is that correct?

Mr. POLIS. In reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Loretta Sanchez), who has a very important unanimous consent request that would save lives and prevent terrorist attacks.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, a point of parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus) for a unanimous consent request that would prevent terrorists from assembling arsenals that they would use to cause harm to our fellow Americans.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request to save lives. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Democratic leader, for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, a point of parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. POLIS. The gentleman from Alabama mentioned the word ``obstruction.'' And, Mr. Speaker, I would like you to consider--and, Mr. Speaker, I would like the American people to consider--who and which party is obstructing here when there is a very simple request for a vote that so many Members of this body feel fervently about. Those who stand in the way of that vote are those who are obstructing, not those who simply seek a vote to prevent terrorists from acquiring explosives and firearms. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal- Allard) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, the definition of obstruction in the dictionary is ``a thing that impedes or prevents passage or progress; an obstacle or blockage.'' The only obstruction here is the failure of the Republicans to simply remove that blockage or that thing that prevents passage of this commonsense measure to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons and prevent terrorists from quietly assembling arsenals to conduct their terrorist acts. I hope that, now that my colleague from New York (Mr. Engel) has joined us and he will be making a very important unanimous consent request in just moments, that will finally allow this body an opportunity to break through this obstruction, move to consideration of both bills under this rule, and move to consideration of the bipartisan bill that will prevent convicted felons from acquiring weapons. I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out on my own time.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) for the purpose of a very important unanimous consent request.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I wish that we had the time to adequately remember all of these victims like Doris Dooley and so many others, but given the limited time we have, I think our priority at this point is breaking through the Republican obstruction and achieving a simple up- or-down vote on these commonsense, bipartisan bills. To that end, I yield to the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Edwards) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. POLIS. Sadly, the gentleman from Alabama is unable to reserve or stop criminals from legally acquiring weapons or terrorists from silently assembling arsenals to conduct terrorist acts in our country. The only way the gentleman from Alabama can prevent those acts is to prevent the obstruction of this body by granting this very simple unanimous consent request that is about to be made by the gentleman from Florida. I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire again of the gentleman from Alabama how many more requests we need to make until this very simple request is granted to allow us a vote on these bills. I am happy to yield for an answer as to how many more people we need to request a vote on these bills.

Mr. POLIS. Reclaiming my time, I am in control of the time. I yielded for an answer. The gentleman from Alabama didn't give it. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro) for the purpose of a very important unanimous consent request that would save lives and prevent terrorism.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) for a very important unanimous consent request that will save lives.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire of the gentleman from Alabama how long he plans to continue obstructing this body and preventing this body from going about its business to vote on these underlying bills by objecting to these very simple, commonsense, unanimous consent requests to prevent terrorists from acquiring explosives and firearms. Again, the silence speaks volumes. It sounds like the Republicans and the gentleman from Alabama plan on continuing to obstruct this body from going about their business. However, luckily, thanks to the gentlewoman from New Jersey, there is another chance for this body to accept a very important unanimous consent request. I yield to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the minority whip, for the purpose of a unanimous consent request.