Rep. Johnson in the Committee on Oversight & Reform: The Urgent Need to Address the Gun Violence Epidemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), a member of the House Committee on Oversight & Reform, participated in a hearing to examine the gun violence epidemic in the United States. To date, there have been more than 200 mass shootings in 2022. The following is Rep. Johnson's statement during the hearing.
Rep. Johnson: Thank you, Madam Chair for holding this hearing. I would like to thank the witnesses, particularly those on the first panel, for their testimony. I was very moved by what each of them had to say. Americans have grown weary, frustrated, and frightened by the ever-intensifying cascade of gun violence afflicting in our country. And they are sick and tired of their elected leaders continuing to do nothing to address the carnage. The fact of the matter is that the gun lobby, led by the NRA and the gun manufacturers that fund it, exert great influence on politicians to support its policies. Which is that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
That just doesn't make sense in a civilized society. I submit to you that every person with a gun makes us unsafe as opposed to more secure. Stopping a bad guy with a gun with a good guy with a gun has not worked. To allow the floodgates to remain open for gun dealers to flood our streets with weapons that are more powerful than what was available last week, that policy, Madam Chair, has been a deadly failure.
And if we continue the unbridled flow of firearms flooding our nation's streets, we will continue to see rising rates of gun violence in America. No other country has a problem like the gun violence problem plaguing our country. And policymakers who stand in the way of doing something to address the problem should be ashamed of themselves, and they need to be voted out of office and replaced with leaders who are willing to stand up to the NRA and pass common sense gun reform laws.
It is common sense to impose a ban on the manufacture and sale to the public of military-assault weapons meant for use on the battlefield. It's common sense to mandate universal background checks by closing the gun show loophole. It's common sense to raise the age of purchasing all firearms from 18 to 21. But, for some reason, my colleagues insist on doing nothing to reverse what is a tide of a failed policy.
It allows greedy firearms manufacturers to maintain their ever-growing profits by flooding our streets with weapons of war. They continue to ignore the impact of their inaction, hiding behind the Second Amendment as if it were the Bible. They proclaim any attempt to pass gun safety legislation infringes on their right to carry. Well, what about the right to live? Of the 19 children and two teachers killed in Uvalde? The 10 shoppers killed in Buffalo, New York? What about their right to live? What about the right to live and almost countless others who have died from street gun violence? How much more blood should be shed before we, in Congress, take action?
Madam Chair, the House has acted to pass laws on universal background checks, but our legislation has stalled in the Senate because of the filibuster. And Congress, today, will pass common sense gun legislation. I should say, Democrats in Congress will pass common-sense gun laws today and pass it on to the Senate, where it will be met with the filibuster. The overwhelming majority of Americans support the types of common-sense gun safety reforms under consideration this week. And failure to act is unconscionable. Failure is an insult to the countless dead children and shattered families and communities. Failure is an insult to the people we are here to represent, and I join my colleagues in their fervent thoughts and prayers and beg my colleagues to match their thoughts and prayers with equally fervent action.
Mr. Gramaglia (Police Commissioner, Buffalo, New York), a paper released by the International Association of Chiefs of Police noted that, when the Biden assault weapons ban was in place between 1994 and 2004, the number of assault weapons traced to crimes fell by a dramatic 66 percent. Since assault weapons are often used against police officers and the IACP is supportive of the assault weapons ban, or the assault rifle ban, what message does it send when Republicans, who loudly proclaim their support for law enforcement, refuse to even discuss banning assault weapons?
Chief Gramaglia: You know, my issue here is that we need to reduce the amount of bloodshed on our streets. The damage that these weapons cause will lead to more bloodshed on the streets. It's more victims that are being struck and it's something that needs to be banned.
Rep. Johnson: Thank you, and I yield back.
###