H170 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 7, 2016 such individuals are not able to purchase a mitted to a mental institution by a court or More than 4 times the rate at which prohib- firearm from a licensed gun dealer. other lawful authority. This expressly excludes ited gun buyers try to buy guns in stores. To date, background checks have prevented voluntary commitment. Approximately 25,000 guns are in illegal over two million guns from falling into the It should be noted, however, that federal law hands. wrong hands. currently allows states to establish procedures Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance The Administration’s two new executive ac- for mentally ill individuals to restore their right of my time. tions will help ensure that better and more reli- to possess and purchase firearms (many f able information makes its way into the back- states have done so at the behest of the Na- ground check system. AUTONOMY VERSUS RELATIONAL tional Rifle Association, with questionable re- RESPONSIBILITY The Administration, however, has acknowl- sults). edged the need for collective action and con- It is undoubtedly true that people who are a The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under tinues to call upon Members of Congress to danger to self and/or others because of men- the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- pass common-sense gun safety legislation tal illness should be prohibited from owning uary 6, 2015, the Chair recognizes the and to expand funding to increase access to firearms. gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. FOR- mental health services. It is less clear, however, how to tailor new TENBERRY) for 30 minutes. I too call upon my colleagues to come to- policies to better protect the American public Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I gether and pass legislation that will help stop while at the same time avoiding the stig- was listening to a talk show one day the loss of innocent lives. matization of Americans with mental illness. when a 13-year-old girl called in. She While we have made some progress in Any strategy to address the lethal intersec- was confused. At that tender age, to strengthening the National Instant Criminal tion between guns and mental illness should put it mildly, she talked about how she Background Check System (NICS), which is focus of the key facts: had been walked all over by her peers used to run background checks on those who On average, more than 100,000 people in and subjected to the exploitation of an buy guns from federally licensed gun dealers America are shot in murders, assaults, and older man. She had no sufficient sense to make sure they are not prohibited by law other crimes. of self-possession to know that she had from owning a firearm, we must do more. More than 32,000 people die from gun vio- been used. She had no community sup- I am a strong supporter of a right of privacy port, no adult around her to protect and I am particularly sensitive and protective lence annually, including 2,677 children under the age of eighteen years old. her. of patient privacy rights. The radio commentator was aghast. I support the Health Insurance Portability Suicide is the leading cause of gun related But, sadly, Mr. Speaker, this was an- and Accountability Act that was passed by deaths in America. other troubling example of a culture of Congress in 1996, and includes privacy pro- 60 percent of deaths by guns in America exploitation that is raging all around tection for medical records, which includes are the result of individuals using these weap- us today. mental healthcare information. ons as a means to commit suicide. However, Mr. Speaker, there is a bit However, there are specific areas under Some of these deaths might have been pre- of light on the horizon. In a few weeks, federal law that allow the disclosure of medical vented if there were adequate background tens of thousands of young people from information to authorities, and in these in- checks. around the country will assemble stances there should be an agreement that Each year hundreds of law enforcement offi- around this Capitol to deliver a simple when a person poses a threat to themselves cers lose their lives to gun violence been shot message. or others (as determined by a court or adju- to death protecting their communities. These young people are saying this: dicative authority with the medical and legal Millions of guns are sold every year in ‘‘no They will no longer tolerate the indif- knowledge and authority to make a determina- questions asked’’ transactions and experts es- ference. They will no longer tolerate a tion that a person poses a threat to them- timate that 40 percent of guns now sold in culture of exploitation. They will no selves or to others) should not be allowed to America are done so without a background longer tolerate the darkness of the purchase a fire arm. check. Technology that could be deployed to ac- National Instant Criminal Background Check abortion industry. cess court records and arrest records as they System (NICS) was created in 1998 to require They are members of the generation relate to mental health and violent behavior potential gun buyers to pass an instant that have witnessed firsthand the dev- should not rely upon a list that may become screening at the point of purchase. astating consequences when wrong outdated or could be used in ways that are not Ensures that purchasers are not felons, do- ideas take hold in a society, when the consistent with the intent of enhancing gun mestic abusers, mentally ill, etc. smartest people in the land—the Su- safety. NICS has blocked sales to more than 2 mil- preme Court Justices—are misguided The ability to access information that is ac- lion prohibited people. and do not value all lives, when certain curate and available for the limited purpose of NICS stops 170 felons and 53 domestic industries profit from pain. affirming or rejecting a request to purchase a abusers from purchasing guns every day. These young people are saying that firearm without indicating the source of the de- The most serious issue facing NICS is the women deserve better than abortion. cision or the reason for the rejection would still ‘‘private sale loophole’’. They are saying that children should protect privacy rights while also protecting the This allows anyone who is not a federally- be welcome, no matter how hard the public. licensed dealer to sell guns without a back- circumstances. They are saying that no The president’s proposal on mental health ground checks. one should be abandoned. There should and gun violence is to enforce the laws al- An estimated 40% of gun transfers—6.6 mil- be no choice between a child and that ready in place. lion transfers—are conducted without a back- child’s mother. Under a federal law enacted in 1968, an in- ground check. Mr. Speaker, it is understandable dividual is prohibited from buying or pos- Armslist.com is the largest online seller of that many people are reluctant to sessing firearms for life if he/she has been firearms. enter into arguments about abortion. ‘‘adjudicated as a mental defective’’ or ‘‘com- 66,000 gun ads are posted by private sell- It is difficult. It is painful. So many mitted to a mental institution.’’ ers on a given day, 750,000 per year. people have experienced this individ- A person is ‘‘adjudicated as a mental defec- Nearly 1/3rd of gun ads on Armslist.com are ually or with family members. But we tive’’ if a court—or other entity having legal au- posted by high-volume unlicensed sellers have to be honest. thority to make adjudications—has made a de- (approx. 4,218 people). Mr. Speaker, if you look behind me termination that an individual, as a result of High-volume sellers posted 29% of the gun at the dais here, you can see the words mental illness: 1) Is a danger to himself or to ads. ‘‘peace,’’ ‘‘liberty,’’ and ‘‘justice.’’ We others; 2) Lacks the mental capacity to con- High-volume sellers posted 36,069 gun ads have these words all around our Na- tract or manage his own affairs; 3) Is found in- over 2 months. tion’s capital, our Nation’s monu- sane by a court in a criminal case, or incom- This would equate to around 243,800 guns ments. petent to stand trial, or not guilty by reason of each year by unlicensed sellers. But, in truth, we cannot find peace in lack of mental responsibility pursuant to the 50% were familiar with federal laws but de- a society that does not protect its most Uniform Code of Military Justice. cided they didn’t apply to them. innocent lives. We cannot find liberty A person is ‘‘committed to a mental institu- 1/3rd of ‘‘want-to-buy’’ ads are posted by when we are indifferent to one another tion’’ if that person has been involuntarily com- people with a criminal record. and simply turn away when a woman

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Mr. Speaker, I want to delve for a nity of work, the responsibility of peo- Finally, I think we should channel moment into the deeper reasons for ple to properly steward the natural en- money from the abortion facilities these divisions over abortion and the vironment, and the sanctity of all life, which are receiving America’s tax- deeper reasons why we have such a especially the poor, the elderly, those payer dollars, which most Americans caustic debate. who are marginalized, and the unborn. disagree with, by the way, toward nur- For those of us who are pro-life, it This holistic approach of Pope turing pregnancy health centers, and can be hard, frankly, to understand Francis does not fit our political class there are many beautiful examples of why everyone just doesn’t see our per- distinctions, which rage all around us this all around the country. spective. But I believe that much of the in this body. So this is not a Democrat By pursuing these policy proposals, ugliness surrounding the abortion de- or Republican issue, it is about the pro- maybe we shift the cultural under- bate hinges upon the competing values tection of persons and how we build a standing that it is not a choice be- of personal autonomy versus relational truly healthy society. tween radical autonomy—I can only responsibility, once again, personal au- Children in the womb are vulnerable, find strength in myself, me, as an indi- tonomy versus relational responsi- precious members of their families. We vidual, I am alone, abandoned, no mat- bility. must defend them, not in isolation, but ter how much I need others—and a re- Of course, working hard, making as a part of the social fabric upon lational responsibility that we all have something of yourself, refusing to let which our shared future as a people de- for one another. difficult circumstances overcome you, pends. Let’s elevate this idea of that rela- are all hallmarks of a well-ordered life Now, some abortion advocates charge tional responsibility of interdepend- essential to an individual’s progress as that defenders of the unborn are pro- ency within community because we are a person. life only until birth of the child; that living in a shattered society. But, Mr. Speaker, rugged individ- the pro-life position is a part of a gro- Nothing else is working, Mr. Speak- ualism can lead to rugged isolationism, tesque fiction called the war on er. We are in an age of anxiety and a crushing the vitality of the human women. That is a very painful accusa- time of growing threat to the family, heart and leading to loneliness, hope- tion. the very basis of the strength of this lessness, and ultimately despair. In the end, I wish we could rise above great Nation. And could it be, Mr. Speaker, that this, because I believe everyone should Now, more than ever, compassion the confusion surrounding abortion is agree that the choice between radical should be our first principle. the loss of an understanding of the dig- autonomy as a justification for abor- Abortion is violence. Abortion is not nity of each person as they are set in tion, versus relational responsibility, is health care. Abortion is a false choice the environment of a community? a false choice. To be pro-life is to be that no one should ever be forced to On this deeply painful topic of abor- genuinely pro-child, pro-woman, and make. Let’s elevate the ideal of mother- tion, the primary community in ques- pro-family. hood, protect it, nurture it, respect it, tion is, first and foremost, the unique No matter how hard the cir- provide for it, celebrate it, the genius bond between a mother and her child, cumstances, we should all be loving of the feminine, and the beauty of all followed by the bond of the extended enough, caring enough, and we cer- life. family and extended community. tainly have resources enough to pro- All politics—all life—Mr. Speaker, is Mr. Speaker, in a few short weeks, tect both the mother and her child. ultimately founded on relationships. these young people who will, by the Now, Mr. Speaker, I would like to Happiness depends upon social life, on thousands, tens of thousands, crowd look for ways to reframe this entire de- interdependency. A healthy society de- around this Capitol, they are really bate, to look for some light. Maybe pends upon stable and healthy relation- telling us one simple truth: Love them there will continue to be deep philo- ships for promoting sustainable values both, just love them both. sophical differences over the question, and our greater ideals. I yield back the balance of my time. but maybe there is some common But because of cultural confusion, we ground. f establish a false choice. Is it a woman’s A spectrum of policy proposals could PROTECTING OUR SECOND right to choose or is it a child’s right more effectively build wider coalitions, AMENDMENT RIGHTS to life? This should not be a consider- I believe, in the pro-life debate, ad- ation in the broader community that is The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under vancing cultural conversion instead of committed to bonds of solidarity. the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- Sadly, I believe, we have lost sight of cultural war. Initiatives could include uary 6, 2015, the Chair recognizes the the degree to which the logic of radical an assault on the scourge of coercion, gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. RUS- autonomy, severed from foundational which forces many women, including SELL) for 30 minutes. principles that order human relations, young girls, to have an abortion at the Mr. RUSSELL. Mr. Speaker, it was namely, in charity, have created the hands of an uncaring boyfriend or un- New Year’s Eve in Blanchard, Okla- circumstances in which we now find scrupulous doctor. homa. Eighteen-year-old mother Sarah Can’t we find it in ourselves to at- ourselves. McKinley, alone with her 3-month-old Individuals who are alone so often be- tack this injustice? I would like to be- son, heard a ruckus at the door. Two come disassociated from mutuality and lieve we can. men were outside trying to break it community. Decades upon decades of What about incentives for businesses down. Grabbing her baby and barri- this cultural conditioning leaves us to provide better pregnancy and new cading the door with her sofa, she im- with an aggregate understanding that parenthood assistance, including ma- mediately called 911. our strength is only found in ourselves. ternity and paternity leave? Some of In the frantic and desperate situation No wonder a young woman, scared, my colleagues speaking before me men- that followed, it became clear that law alone, or abandoned feels such pressure tioned some of these proposals. No enforcement would not arrive in time to abort. woman should be forced to choose be- to prevent the assault by armed intrud- Mr. Speaker, during last year’s his- tween a paycheck and her child. ers. She informed the dispatcher that toric papal visit to the United States, Other ideas could be adoption, en- she had a shotgun, and asked if it was Pope Francis highlighted the need for hanced adoption facilities, counter- all right to shoot the intruders, should what I call social conservation. measures against workplace pregnancy they make their way inside. discrimination, classifying pregnancy Wisely, the dispatcher told Sarah: ‘‘I b 2000 as a qualifying event for health insur- can’t tell you to do that, but you do At its root, social conservation is the ance, initiatives for responsible father- what you have to do to protect that answer to the widespread longing in all hood. baby.’’ of our hearts, that longing for a cul- That is not my idea, that is Presi- Sarah already knew what she might ture of meaning, of purposefulness. dent Obama’s idea. In fact, I com- have to do, and hoped against hope

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