Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 898.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 1036, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

As my esteemed colleagues have discussed, H.R. 1036 would prohibit civil lawsuits from being brought against gun manufacturers by parties that have been injured by the unlawful use of firearms.

Mr. Chairman, I am a great believer in personal responsibility. It is one of the key principles upon which America was founded. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act would strengthen this great notion.

Imposing liability on an entire industry for harm caused solely by the unlawful actions of others is an abuse of the United States legal system--it undermines public confidence in our judicial system and threatens the viability of law-abiding companies.

Frivolous lawsuits against the firearm industry are nothing more than an attack on the Second Amendment. It seems a logical anti-gun tactic to me, if you can't lawfully prevent the sale of guns, then you go after the people who sell guns and make them afraid to sell their lawful products for fear of incurring substantial financial liability. Thus far, these frivolous and merit-less lawsuits have had little success in court. Their only success is in placing an enormous financial burden on gun manufacturers. However, these litigation costs are then passed onto consumers and makes it more difficult law-abiding citizens to own guns. In the end, the ones who suffer the most are law- abiding consumers.

H.R. 1036 would help protect our second amendment rights by protecting legitimate businesses that comply with Federal, State and local gun laws. It is time to stop these frivolous lawsuits that threaten to bankrupt a responsible American industry by blaming the firearm industry for the actions of criminals. I urge my colleagues to support the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 1036, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

As my esteemed colleagues have discussed, H.R. 1036 would prohibit civil lawsuits from being brought against gun manufacturers by parties that have been injured by the unlawful use of firearms.

Mr. Chairman, I am a great believer in personal responsibility. It is one of the key principles upon which America was founded. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act would strengthen this great notion.

Imposing liability on an entire industry for harm caused solely by the unlawful actions of others is an abuse of the United States legal system--it undermines public confidence in our judicial system and threatens the viability of law-abiding companies.

Frivolous lawsuits against the firearm industry are nothing more than an attack on the Second Amendment. It seems a logical anti-gun tactic to me, if you can't lawfully prevent the sale of guns, then you go after the people who sell guns and make them afraid to sell their lawful products for fear of incurring substantial financial liability. Thus far, these frivolous and merit-less lawsuits have had little success in court. Their only success is in placing an enormous financial burden on gun manufacturers. However, these litigation costs are then passed onto consumers and makes it more difficult law-abiding citizens to own guns. In the end, the ones who suffer the most are law- abiding consumers.

H.R. 1036 would help protect our Second Amendment rights by protecting legitimate

businesses that comply with federal, state and local gun laws. It is time to stop these frivolous lawsuits that threaten to bankrupt a responsible American industry by blaming the firearm industry for the actions of criminals. I urge my colleagues to support the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

Mr. Speaker, I stand today to recognize almost 1,200 constituents of mine whose job is unknown to most Americans. They go to work every day at a 45,000 acre compound the size of the District of Columbia with a sense of pride and patriotism as they do their part to help this country defend our freedoms and fight the war on terrorism.

Ever since October, 1943, the McAlester Ammunition Depot has led our country in the production of ammunitions. Through World War II, the depot employed 8,000 people and produced 325,000 tons of ammunition. During the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the depot employed more than 3,000 workers. Today, this state-of-the-art maintenance and renovation facility for the weaponry of the United States Armed Forces continues to build vital ammo to defend and protect our great country.

These workers, most all of them civilians, come to work every single day with a very deep understanding about the purpose of their job. As one worker who has passed through those guarded gates for the last 14 years stated, ``I have always felt a lot of pride having a job here. But now, when I come through that front gate, I just feel so good knowing that what we do supports the people who are out there really taking care of this country.''

Mr. Speaker, I will close by saying that I am proud and honored that I can call these 1,200 workers my constituents; and at a time when our Nation is at war, let us not forget those men and women in and out of uniform who dedicate their lives so that we can all live in peace and freedom.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure today to welcome Pastor Wayne Jenkins from First Baptist Church of Alexandria, Virginia, as our guest chaplain.

Pastor Jenkins has served as the Pastor for Education and Married Adults for 8 years. His wife of 34 years, Carolyn Jenkins, is the Minister of Education at Downtown Baptist Church in Alexandria, and they have two adult children, Rand Jenkins who works with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and lives in Fort Worth with his wife, Denise, and Clare Jenkins, who serves on my staff as a legislative assistant.

A man of strong faith, members of his church and community recognize Pastor Jenkins as a wise spiritual leader and encourager. As Pastor of Education and Married Adults, Pastor Jenkins enjoys a wide range of ministry at First Baptist and impacts lives through counseling, teaching and preaching. Pastor Jenkins leads a growing ministry for developing Christians, starting 40 new Bible study classes in 5 years and baptizing 82 into the faith last year. Throughout his career of over 30 years, Pastor Jenkins has demonstrated consistent church leadership and a passion for God's service.

Admired by his parishioners and loved by his family, it is my pleasure to introduce Pastor Jenkins today, and I thank him for giving us a wonderful word to start our business this morning.