January 7, 2016 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H171 faces difficulty. We cannot claim jus- Pope Francis promoted universal mended him for that because he raised tice for all when we throw away the in- human values, the importance of soci- it in the State of the Union, as I recall, nocent unborn life. ety, the primacy of the family, the dig- about 2 years ago. 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

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:39 Jan 08, 2016 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00067 Fmt 4636 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K07JA7.120 H07JAPT1 smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H172 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 7, 2016 that law enforcement, while responding stitution. While he may be a constitu- Still, while these incidents are trag- quickly, would arrive in time. tional scholar, he needs to be schooled ic, and many beyond the scope of civ- When the armed intruders broke on constitutional history. From Madi- ilized thinking, we cannot substitute down the door, 24-year-old Justin Mar- son, Hamilton, Jefferson, and Adams, emotion for examination. Contrary to tin climbed over the couch and was all the way to the Supreme Court deci- those most vocal—and most funded— greeted with a shotgun blast to the sions with Heller and McDonald, this voices on this issue, we are not the chest. While his accomplice ran for his inalienable right has been affirmed in most violent civilized country on the life, Sarah had saved hers and her defense of its articulation in the Bill of planet. In fact, according to data com- baby’s. Rights. piled from the United Nations Office on Eight weeks ago, 88-year-old Arlene While the President complains of Drugs and Crime, the United States Orms was at home alone in Miami, congressional inaction on the right to ranks in the bottom half of homicides Florida, when an intruder kicked in keep and bear arms, it can no more worldwide among civilized or uncivi- her door. Orms responded by retrieving take action to deny this right than it lized nations. a .25-caliber pistol, but fired it at the could deny a free press, a free religious Still, the President often touts Eu- home invader, prompting the criminal expression, or property rights to indi- rope as a commonsense model for bet- to flee. viduals. ter policy and security. A remarkable Following the incident, Orms’ neigh- Congress will not act to destroy the seven European countries have higher bors expressed absolute support for her Bill of Rights, and we will stand in the overall per capita homicide rates than actions, with one telling a local media way of any executive who will not up- the United States. Where is that news outlet: ‘‘You have to do something. hold the Constitution of the United flash? Disarming law-abiding citizens You have to protect yourself.’’ States. as a solution to curtail those that Arlene Orms, like most Americans, Still, the administration presses for- break the law does not necessarily inherently understands that you have ward with passion and conviction, con- make people safer, but it certainly the right to defend your life, your prop- vincing Americans that the threat is so makes them more defenseless. On our erty, and your liberty. grievous, the injury is so great, that own shores, we can find an example of The right to keep and bear arms is as Americans must act to inhibit our lib- this line of thinking by examining the fundamental to our freedom as any erty. We are told that mass shootings most violent cities in America. They other inalienable right we enjoy as are on the rise and gun deaths are out are most likely to be ones with the Americans. This right is God-given, as of control and the worst among devel- strictest gun laws. much as the freedom of religion, and to oped nations. If gun control advocates ignore this But before America signs up to elimi- exercise worship, the freedom to as- body of evidence, as they are wont to nate one of her inalienable rights, let’s semble and express, the freedom to own do, they will explore ways to eliminate deliberate with a sober mind. The this essential right in America through property, and to protect our privacy. As such, serious-minded individuals President and his party would report other means. We often see them turn to must have serious deliberation on any outrage if conservatives suggested that the false assertion that the Second Amendment was never intended for in- attempt to alter these fundamental the First Amendment must be scrapped dividuals—remarkable, considering American rights that are embodied in because of such abuses as libel, hate that James Madison insisted on enu- the Bill of Rights, inalienable, not speech, religious bigotry and sit-ins, merating inalienable individual rights granted by government. warranted necessary commonsense re- into the body of the Constitution be- In a time where Americans face un- forms to the first of our enumerated fore he accepted the compromise to se- certain threats from terrorists at freedoms embodied in the Bill of cure them through an amending proc- home, most Americans clearly under- Rights. Americans recognize that we must ess known as the Bill of Rights. Like stand why we must preserve the right face the unpleasantness of abuse of all of our Framers and Founders, he to defend ourselves, our families, and these rights on occasion to secure its understood common or natural law and our property. its roots in the English Bill of Rights For those who would refuse their inviolable status. Not the same, some may say. We are of 1689, and it guaranteed the indi- right to defend themselves, they have talking about outrageous loss of life vidual right to bear arms. the freedom to do so. They do not have and injury and it must stop, they All of our constitutional Framers the freedom to make that decision for claim. would have relied heavily on Sir Wil- others. Since when did our security become liam Blackstone’s thought on law and In terms of human behavior, our sur- substitute for our liberty? Americans liberty. This brilliant jurist secured vival instincts are inherent. The Cre- for 240 years, rather, have sacrificed to complete influence among every colo- ator of the universe did not make secure it. nial attorney and all of our Founding human beings with fangs, claws, quills, And the simple truth is, the facts Fathers with his Commentaries on the or odors for their self-defense. Instead, supporting this liberal gun control call Law published in 1765. He was explicit he gave them their intelligence and, by to give up an essential American lib- in his assertion that to secure indi- extension, their hands, to fashion im- erty have been widely and unfairly dis- vidual life, liberty, and property, it was plements to protect their lives. torted. According to the Centers for necessary ‘‘to the right of having and While the President is certainly wel- Disease Control, 199,756 people lost using arms for self-preservation and de- come to choose not to defend himself, their lives to firearms in 2014. But on fense.’’ as is his right, it is not his right to pro- examination, only 15,000 of that num- It comes as no surprise then, in the hibit others from protecting their lives ber were homicide. That is only 8 per- language of common and natural law and property. cent of the total. The vast majority, so clearly understood in the context of The President has histrionically over 68 percent, were accident-related, the time that the Second Amendment compared his gun control agenda with and even that has steadily declined in would be so highly placed in the order the advancement of women’s suffrage recent years. of individual rights at number two. rights and the elimination of slavery, Gun control advocates argue the chiding Republicans for their lack of b 2015 amendment was only for militias, not advancement of the human race. Suicides accounted, sadly, for most individual people. Despite that argu- If we look historically, rather than of the remainder at 21 percent ment being struck down for 225 years histrionically, it was Republicans who But the truth about gun homicides is in Supreme Court rulings to include eliminated slavery and embraced Re- that you are as likely to die from ma- the most recent cases of Heller and publican activist Susan B. Anthony, lignant neoplasm of the esophagus as McDonald in 2008 and 2010, it is instruc- the women’s suffragist, to get voting you are to violent homicide with a fire- tive to see what the Framers said rights for all women, where his party arm. You are twice as likely to die themselves about the meaning of peo- had stood in the way. from the result of a fall. You are 21⁄2 ple and militias. The President can no more rewrite times more likely to die by accidental Richard Henry Lee wrote in Fed- history than he can rewrite the Con- poisoning. eralist Number 18, that brilliant group

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:39 Jan 08, 2016 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00068 Fmt 4636 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K07JA7.122 H07JAPT1 smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with HOUSE January 7, 2016 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H173 of papers known as the Federalist Pa- citizen’s right to possess a sawed-off your firearm. That is the way the law pers that argued for our Constitution: shotgun because the weapon had not works. ‘‘A militia when properly formed are in been shown to be of ‘‘ordinary military So all of this outrage from my col- fact the people themselves. To preserve equipment’’ that could ‘‘contribute to leagues on the liberal left of trying to liberty, it is essential that the whole the common defense.’’ fix things, the law already exists. It is body of the people always possess arms Ban military rifles you say? like saying that we need to do some- and be taught alike, especially when Throughout our history, they have thing about murder. We need to make young, how to use them.’’ been guaranteed as an essential portion some laws to stop murder. Maybe they In fact, when one examines the First of the defense of our liberty, our will quit doing that. Oh, we already and Third through the 10th original homes, and our lives. have those laws, and people still com- amendments, it is difficult to interpret What about the terrorist watch list? mit crime. any other meaning than that they Nobody on the terrorist watch list Therein is where we need to focus. apply to individuals. The Second ought to be able to own a firearm. The Target the abusers, not the law-abiding Amendment is no exception. The Su- terrorist watch list is only on sus- American citizen, and do not target the preme Court has always agreed. picion—no court, no rule of law, no Republic of the most incredible con- The famous 14th Amendment, during jury of your peers. It is on suspicion for stitutional form of law the world has Reconstruction after Black Americans surveillance, and it can be done bu- ever known. were freed from slavery—you know, reaucratically and administratively. In Serious people decline to trivialize that famous amendment that is the fact, we have had several Members of any right expressly addressed in the most referred to—guarantees equal Congress, such as my colleague from Bill of Rights. A government that abro- protection under the law for all Amer- Alaska, DON YOUNG, who was falsely gates any of the Bill of Rights with or ican citizens. It started out, and most and inadvertently put on the terrorist without majority approval forever acts Americans are not aware of this, as a watch list. Under this line of thinking, illegitimately and loses the moral Second and Fourth Amendment issue. his Second Amendment rights would be right to govern the Republic. This is The Southern Democratic Party law- removed. the uncompromising understanding re- makers were nullifying individual lib- Well, we can’t have these terrorists flected in the warning that America’s erty with their State Black Code laws coming here and then being able to buy gun owners will not go gently into which deprived Black Americans of a firearm. They can’t. People do not these utopian woods. their right to liberty, property, and to understand 18 U.S. Code. They don’t While liberals and gun control advo- keep and bear arms as they attempted understand the law. If you are a non- cates will take such a statement as evi- to defend their homes. Republicans resident legal alien, you cannot pos- dence of their belief in the backwater, fought back against these lawmakers sess, purchase, or receive a firearm. It violent, and untrustworthy nature of and then led the fight to pass legisla- is the law. There are only very small the armed American citizens, we gun tion addressing the issue in 1868. Demo- rare exceptions for that, such as if you owners hope that liberals hold equally cratic President Andrew Johnson ve- were approved for a specialized hunting strong conviction about their printing toed the bill. Congress overrode it and trip or maybe you were armed security presses, their Internet blogs, and their then secured their rights forever in the for a head of state, for example. television cameras. The Republic de- 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Well, what about that gun show loop- pends upon the fervent devotion to all In fact, the Supreme Court has deter- hole? Businesses shouldn’t be able to of our fundamental rights. That is the mined with clarity that the constitu- sell firearms without a background oath that we take, and no President’s tional individual right of Americans to check. News flash: You cannot sell a tears will ever shake us from the de- bear arms is guaranteed on Federal en- firearm under a business license with- fense of that Constitution. claves such as Washington, D.C., with out a background check. If you do so, Mr. Speaker, I yield back my time. the Heller v. District of Columbia deci- whether you are on your property or sion. In McDonald v. Chicago, the Su- off your property at a gun show, you f preme Court in 2010 held that the indi- are committing a felony and with vidual right extends to keeping and strict sentencing laws often that are LEAVE OF ABSENCE bearing arms to all States and terri- minimum sentences of 10 years or By unanimous consent, leave of ab- torial jurisdictions. more. Okay. Fine, you say. But there is no Well, what about Internet sales? You sence was granted to: reason why people need military-style can go online and you can just order a Mr. RUSH (at the request of Ms. firearms. Those need to be banned. The rifle, and they will ship it to your PELOSI) for today on account of attend- Framers of the Constitution and the home—again, false. People do not un- ing to family member’s medical proce- Supreme Court, strangely, to those derstand the law. dure. who would have this way of thinking, The United States Postal Service and f would disagree. our commercial carriers do not allow In 1939, United States v. Miller, Jus- shipping of firearms except under li- tice Holmes speaking for the Court in censed dealers. The only exception to ENROLLED BILL SIGNED the case where one Mr. MILLER as- that would be if you had an original Karen L. Haas, Clerk of the House, serted he had a constitutional right to manufacturer’s warranty and you ship reported and found truly enrolled a bill bear a sawed-off shotgun without pay- it directly back to the manufacturer of the House of the following title, ing a special exemption tax of $200, the under their license, and they will re- which was thereupon signed by the Supreme Court held that no such right ceive it and send it only directly back. Speaker: existed on the grounds that sawed-off As the only Member of Congress who H.R. 3762. An act to provide for reconcili- shotguns of the very short length Mr. owns a firearms manufacturing busi- ation pursuant to section 2002 of the concur- MILLER possessed were not suitable as ness, I know about what I speak. If rent resolution on the budget for fiscal year a military-type firearm if needed for someone in another State were to try 2016. common defense—a paraphrase, not a to order a firearm off of our Web site, quote. it would never get shipped to their f 1997, Printz v. United States, Justice home or I would go to prison. Instead, Clarence Thomas, our most recent we tell that person: You need to get ADJOURNMENT treatment of the Second Amendment the local firearms licensee in your area Mr. RUSSELL. Mr. Speaker, I move prior to the late Supreme Court deci- to send a certified copy of your license that the House do now adjourn. sions, stated that they reversed the to us, and they are in a form where we The motion was agreed to; accord- District of Columbia’s invalidation of can recognize what is a real license. ingly (at 8 o’clock and 27 minutes the National Firearms Act enacted in When we receive that, we will ship it to p.m.), the House adjourned until to- 1934. In Miller, we determined the Sec- him, they will do the check, and you morrow, Friday, January 8, 2016, at 9 ond Amendment did not guarantee a will fill out forms and you can receive a.m.

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