'Common Sense Legislation That Saves Lives': Lucy McBath Touts Dems' Red Flag Fun Law

4 months ago

Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) spoke about a Democratic bill that would implement red flag gun laws.

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Transcript

00:00from Georgia. Well, I want to thank Chairman Thompson for his tremendous leadership for the

00:10Gun Violence Prevention Task Force here on the Hill. He's been leading in this work long before

00:16I came to Congress, and I can't tell you how valuable you are in leading us and giving us

00:21the charge. And I want to thank all of my colleagues that stand with me here today.

00:26They're all champions in the Front for Gun Safety and Safer Communities.

00:35I'm proud to be the lead sponsor of this legislation that is going to be discharged

00:40on the floor today, the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act with Congressman Carbajal

00:46and the sponsor of the discharge petition that we have filed today that would bring the bill up for

00:52an immediate vote on the House floor. I have led this bill since 2019, and I have continued to hear

01:00stories from families everywhere I go and law enforcement all around the country about the

01:07lives that might have been saved if we had a red flag law in place. Stories like Mary Stiller

01:16Strobel, whose brother Ben was a combat veteran suffering from depression and PTSD.

01:25Ben had lost 30 pounds after his tour. Returning home, his father asked him about his weight loss.

01:34Ben replied that he couldn't eat, and he said that it was just so hard out there, Dad. It's

01:42just so hard, and everywhere I go, it smells like death. Ben was seeking treatment at a local VA

01:50hospital, but his family worried that in a moment of desperation, Ben might end his own life.

02:00Mary and her father drove to every gun store in their community. They showed these store photos

02:09of Ben, and they were pleading with him. If he shows up in this store, if he shows up to purchase

02:17a firearm, please do not sell this firearm to Ben. Ben Miller died by suicide. He used a gun that he

02:29bought at a local store. It's too often that the families and the loved ones who see the signs of

02:37crisis before anyone else are helpless to do anything about it, and red flag laws empower

02:45those families, along with law enforcement, to do something before it's too late.

02:54Empower their voices and allow a judge upholding due process under the law to determine if

03:03temporary limits should be placed to keep guns out of the hands of those who may be a danger to

03:09themselves or others. In the nutshell, this is what red flag laws do. Mary and her father weren't

03:18able to use that process because it was not instituted federally or within their state.

03:25They did not have a red flag law in place. This legislation would change that.

03:32Legislation, I remind you, that passed the House last Congress, the 117th Congress,

03:39with the support from Democrats and five Republicans. Legislation that was once held

03:47by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and Republican Lindsey Graham.

03:54Gun violence in this country is an epidemic. The Surgeon General just yesterday finally

04:02issued a report on the public health crisis that is gun violence in America and called for action.

04:09And so we once again are taking action. So I thank my colleagues that are here with me,

04:17my colleagues that are here in Congress for taking action to join me to announce this new strategy

04:25to move this legislation along, common sense legislation that saves lives. I implore our

04:34colleagues in this House to sign the discharge petition and make these life-saving tools

04:41available, not only state by state, but everywhere in this country, no matter their zip code or their

04:49political party. Because we, and I say that we are the Gun Sense Democratic Caucus, are working

04:59to protect the American people. Even if the current majority doesn't stand up with the safety of their

05:07own constituents and their own families, we will. And now it is my distinct pleasure to bring up to

05:16you an incredible leader in our caucus and partner in this fight for gun violence, Assistant

05:22Democratic Leader Joe Neguse.

'Common Sense Legislation That Saves Lives': Lucy McBath Touts Dems' Red Flag Fun Law

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