Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for engaging in this debate today.

Mr. Speaker, there is a higher authority than the law of man. Above the Speaker's podium are the words, in this great Chamber, ``In God we trust.''

Do we? Do we recognize that the Biblical record is replete with the violence of man?

Shall my colleagues on the other side of the aisle admit that law designed to restrict Second Amendment rights and freedoms are but a veil to conceal the violence of man born since Adam? The firstborn son of Adam killed his brother in a violent rage. I am rather certain he did not use a firearm.

The Second Amendment protections that we have as American citizens shall not be infringed. Remember these words and that they are born of a nation that recognized our service to our Lord.

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Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I am going to attempt to address the hearts and minds of some of my dear friends across the aisle, and I do have friends: I respect you, I love you, and I admire you.

I recognize that we have all lived different lives, but let me clarify that I have a very personal knowledge of the way the street works. Criminals are not going to follow these laws.

Madam Speaker, you are talking about 10 days--I can have a 10-minute override from right here and bring you back an illegal gun.

Do you want one?

A couple of hundred bucks, Madam Speaker, I can get you one.

Madam Speaker, it is not intellectually sound to actually believe in your heart that restricting the Second Amendment rights and freedoms to purchase, own, and bear firearms of Americans that will follow the laws you intend to pass is going to impact the decisions that are made by criminals on the streets. It is just not reality.

This realm is bizarre. Americans are watching this right now. They get it. They know the criminals are not going to follow the law. This is not going to impact the criminal realm.

We have deterioration of our society because of the failure to embrace core principles and American family values. This is what has happened over the course of a generation on my watch. I am 59. This has happened to America as I have matured. I am concerned about the future, but I am certainly recognizing the core freedoms and principled protections of the constitutional rights of my children and grandchildren.

We must not allow that to be deteriorated under the guise of protecting our citizens from crime. Criminals are not going to recognize these laws.

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Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, let's save a life. I am going to share with my colleagues an actual story going on right now, because my citizens have my phone number. I have had the same phone number since 2004. They know they can reach out to me for help.

A young lady, right now, whose property, her yard, her garage, has been invaded night after night after night by a strange man. He moves fast. She is a single mom, a 30-year-old woman, hardworking woman, American.

Many, many years ago, she pled guilty to a minor drug charge. It is still on her record. She can't buy a gun, but, by God, she is going to get one. She is going to get one illegally to defend herself and her young child.

Your bill would make this story commonplace from sea to shining sea. I beg for you to stand for the people who we serve and recognize what you are attempting to do.

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Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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