Schakowsky Calls For Common-Sense Gun Legislation

SCHAKOWSKY CALLS FOR COMMON-SENSE GUN LEGISLATION

WASHINGTON, DC–U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) entered the following statement into the Congressional Record in response to the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech.

Common-Sense Gun Legislation Is Needed Now

"Madam Speaker, I rise today to extend my condolences to the families of the 32 Virginia Tech students and teachers who lost their lives due to senseless gun violence on April 16, 2007. I would also like the families of Columbine High School tragedy — which occurred 8 years ago on April 20th — to know that my thoughts and prayers are with them as well. As those two tragedies demonstrate, we are not doing enough to protect our schools, workplaces, homes, and communities from gun violence. In honor of all the victims of gun violence, I call on my colleagues to pass tougher gun laws, including requiring more stringent background checks and banning the use of assault weapons and high-ammunition clips.

It is a well-known fact that it takes very little time and is very easy and for individuals to buy powerful weapons in this country. In fact, depending on the state, it takes anywhere from just 2 hours to a mere 2 minutes to conduct a background check. Since it took the assailant in the Virginia Tech case only 10 minutes to get approval to buy a gun, it is no wonder that the store from which he made his purchase missed the fact that a court had ordered him to undergo outpatient treatment. Federal law states that anyone who has been adjudicated for being a "mental defective", as the assailant had, cannot purchase weapons. Had there not been an expedited process for buying a gun, and the background check relying on the self-reporting of mental illness, perhaps this tragedy could have been prevented. I support the efforts of my colleagues, Representatives McCarthy and Dingell, to provide federal funding to states for computers systems that will allow them to promptly upload information about potential gun buyers from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. As we have tragically learned, we can no longer wait for all states to get online.

Additionally, we need to renew the bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips. We have allowed this ban to expire, every day more police officers and innocent families are in sight of criminals wielding Uzis, Tec-9s, AK-47s. And, high-capacity ammunition clips — which have no purpose other than to kill people — allowed the gunman at Virginia Tech was able to kill 32 students and teachers. Because of the high-capacity ammunition clips, even those who survived were left with multiple bullet wounds.

Every day that we allow to pass without a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips is another day that Americans are needlessly put at risk. We need to support and pass Representative McCarthy's, H.R. 1022, the Assault Weapons Ban, which would renew that ban.

I am proud to represent the 9th Congressional District, a district that is strongly in favor of getting guns off our streets. Chicago, Wilmette, Morton Grove and Evanston have laws outlawing handguns, and I think this is a great start. We need to bring that commitment to our children's safety, to the safety of our neighborhoods, and to the safety of our schools, to the rest of our country."