{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://pelosi.house.gov//news/press-releases/pelosi-remarks-at-press-event-honoring-two-year-anniversary-of-newtown-tragedy", "Pelosi Remarks at Press Event Honoring  Two-Year Anniversary of Newtown Tragedy", "2014-12-10", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Nancy Pelosi", "P000197", "pelosi.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Contact: Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi joined Congressional leaders and gun violence prevention advocates today for a press event honoring the second anniversary of the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, and to call for expanded background checks to curb the epidemic of gun violence in America. Below are the Leader\u2019s remarks:\n\u201cThank you very much, Sue, for your introduction and your leadership to prevent gun violence.\u00a0\n\u201cMany of us are gathered here today to listen, to hear the stories again, so sadly, and be inspired to take action.\u00a0 We heard the beautiful children talk about the names.\u00a0 The numbers are clear: 20 children and six teachers at Sandy Hook.\u00a0 Since then, there have been nearly 95 school shootings \u2013 nearly 100 school shootings in our country \u2013 95 school shootings in our country, tens of thousands of people in other circumstances killed.\u00a0 The background check bill has blocked the purchase of 2.4 million sales to dangerous people since the inception of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act.\u00a0\n\u201cGeorge Bernard Shaw once said: \u2018The sign of a truly intelligent person is that he or she is swayed by statistics.\u2019\u00a0 These are statistics with lives attached, with loss attached.\u00a0 They demand that our message be the same: Congress must act to pass the bipartisan legislation \u2013 bipartisan, sponsored by Congressman Mike Thompson, who is here, and Congressman King of New York. \u00a0They have gathered more than 180 co-sponsors to expand and strengthen our background checks system.\u00a0 We have to do it.\u00a0 We\u2019ve come together before; we\u2019ve said: We will not stop until this is over.\u00a0 I have no answer to people \u2013 some just in my office, and that\u2019s why I was a little big delayed \u2013 who said: \u2018What is the answer to the question: Why has Congress not acted?\u2019\u00a0 With all of the gun violence in our country, 20 little children and their teachers, what could be more clear?\u00a0 Every person back here, a story of life and loss.\u00a0 What could be more clear?\n\u201cSo it is imperative that we act.\u00a0 And you know what, we must stick with this.\u00a0 Right, Mike?\u00a0 Isn\u2019t that our California way?\u00a0 We stick with this until it gets done.\u00a0\u00a0 We want to shorten the distance between what is inevitable to us that this will happen and inconceivable to some \u2013 to shorten that distance.\u00a0\n\u201cAnd now it is my pleasure \u2013 I wouldn\u2019t say pleasure \u2013 it\u2019s my honor \u2013 pleasure under other circumstances \u2013 to introduce to you Sandy and Lonnie Phillips who lost their beloved 24 year-old daughter, Jessi, in the Aurora movie theatre tragedy in 2012.\u201d\u00a0\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://pelosi.house.gov//news/press-releases/pelosi-remarks-at-press-event-honoring-two-year-anniversary-of-newtown-tragedy"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1900579556822777, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}