Congressman David E. Price (NC-04), the senior Democratic member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, gave the following remarks in support of an Appropriations Committee amendment that would have prohibited suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms.

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Lowey amendment, which would take the common-sense step of taking guns out of the hands of terrorists – closing the ‘terror gap.’

“I also acknowledge that the Committee has rejected similar efforts previously. But we all know that this time is different.

“The lives of 49 families have been changed forever. 49 families devastated by the loss of their loved ones in the most deadly mass shooting in the history of our nation.

“A deranged and self-proclaimed ISIS sympathizer, someone the FBI had interviewed and monitored before, LEGALLY got his hands on the type of weapons no one outside the military should have access to – let alone a potential terrorist.

“Now we’ve heard a lot of political talk about the terminology the President uses when discussing the threats we face.

“We hear a lot of incendiary and inaccurate statements about a religion with more than 1 billion worldwide followers.

“What we don’t hear are reasonable solutions from the majority to the threats we face as a nation from those who are intent on manipulating loopholes in our laws to kill innocent Americans.

“Well, now you have one before you.

“Some will plead the Second Amendment, but this amendment does not threaten the Second Amendment, no matter how you interpret it.

“Your freedom of speech does not give you the right to yell “fire” in a crowded theater.  Your freedom of religion does not give you the right to subject your children to dangerous practices.

“And nothing in the Second Amendment says we cannot protect our communities, keeping weapons out of the hands of those who have vowed to destroy us.

“So I rise in support of this amendment as a means of honoring the 49 innocent individuals taken from us too soon and as a means of preventing further massacres.

“I rise in support of this amendment for Shane Tomlinson, a native of Ms. Lowey’s district and proud graduate of East Carolina University, who was senselessly gunned down in this PREVENTABLE massacre.

“I rise in support of this amendment for Tevin Crosby, a native of Statesville, North Carolina whose life was taken too soon because THIS CONGRESS refused to act to protect the American people.

“I rise in support of this amendment for Eddie Justice, a 30 year old accountant, who texted with his mother for what must’ve been the most terrifying 44 minutes any parent could possibly endure.

·         2.06AM: “Mommy I love you,” “In club,” “They shooting.”

·         2.07AM: “Trapp in bathroom,” “Pulse downtown. Call police.”

·         2.09AM: “I’m gonna die.”

·         2.39AM: “He’s coming. I’m gonna die.”

·         2.40AM: “Still here in the bathroom. He has us. They need to come get us.”

“How can anyone hear those texts from a terrified son and still not be compelled to act? How can we continue to harden our hearts?”