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John Yarmuth denounces "cowardice" for no action on guns

James R. Carroll
Louisville
U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth

WASHINGTON - Despite a continuing wave of mass shootings across the United States, Congress is showing "cowardice" in not taking action to try to curb gun violence, according to Rep. John Yarmuth.

"Enough with the moments of silence. It's time for a moment of action from Congress to prevent gun violence," the Louisville Democrat said on the House floor a day after a student was killed, a teacher injured and the teenage gunman killed himself at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Ore.

Yarmuth was among a number of government officials, including President Barack Obama, who have urged tougher gun restrictions after a number of recent mass shootings.

The congressman noted in his Wednesday floor speech that the Oregon tragedy was the 74th school shooting since 20 children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut on Dec. 14, 2012.

"But the congressional response to the senseless loss of our children, educators, friends, and neighbors to gun violence has been silence: moments of silence on this floor, amplified only by the cowardice from those in this body who refuse to stand up for basic public safety," Yarmuth said.

Obama said on Tuesday the nation should do some "soul-searching" over the epidemic of gun violence and "should be ashamed" nothing has been done to try to curb it.

"We're the only developed country on Earth where this happens," Obama said during a question-and-answer session on the social media website Tumblr. "And it happens now once a week. And it's a one-day story. There's no place else like this."

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan asked on Twitter: "How many more students must we lose before committing to reduce gun violence in our schools?"

Schools have taken a number of security measures since Sandy Hook, but it is difficult to determine what impact those steps have had.

Yarmuth and other Democrats have tried without success to pressure Republican House leaders to consider a number of bills that would toughen the nation's gun laws.

Those measures would require criminal background checks on all gun sales, ban the sale of large-capacity ammunition clips, make firearms trafficking a federal crime, strengthen penalties against those who buy guns for others who are barred from owning weapons, and remove research and gun-tracking restrictions on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

"The American people want us to act: 92 percent support expanded background checks, to close loopholes in the law and help ensure dangerous people can't get guns," Yarmuth said

Meanwhile, on the very day of the Oregon shootings, Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Tex., circulated a letter to his colleagues seeking support for legislation that would repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act, which bans firearms in and near school buildings.

Instead, Stockman proposes to allow schools to arm themselves against intruders.

"When it comes to the safety of our children while attending school, a new policy that effectively defends them is extremely necessary," the congressman wrote.