mr. speaker , i rise today in opposition to s. 397 , the protection of lawful commerce in arms act . 
this resolution immunizes the gun industry -- including manufacturers , distributors , dealers , or importers of firearms and ammunitions -- from civil liability arising from the criminal and unlawful misuse of their products . 
advocates of this bill believe that it is necessary to pass in order to prevent the rise of `` frivolous '' lawsuits against companies that manufacture and distribute firearms . 
advocates say , the second amendment of the constitution protects the rights of these companies to irresponsibly sell their products without any repercussions for the misuse of their product . 
i believe there is a delicate balance between the right to bear arms , a right provided by the constitution , and each year more than 30 , 000 gun-related deaths occur ; a third of these 30 , 000 deaths are committed with malicious `` intent by customers of the arms industry who exploit their second amendment right . 
since 2000 , we have witnessed a 9 percent increase in gun-related homicides . 
in 2003 , firearms were used in over 365 , 000 cases of violent crime . 
fifty percent of all the african american youngsters between the ages of 15 and 19 , who die , die from gun violence . 
when guns and ammunitions reach the wrong hands , we must be able to hold accountable the companies that put destructive weapons in the hands of these criminals . 
my dissent for this bill focuses around the lack of responsibility required by arms dealers . 
when the desired intent of a product is to fatally wound an object through legal or illegal means , there will always be the need of a high demand of accountability . 
for cases of gun violence in which the firearms industry should be held responsible , this resolution does not protect its victims . 
in past years , state and federal courts have found these types of cases to be grounded in such credible legal principles as negligence , product liability , and public nuisance . 
if this legislation passes , the high demand of accountability and liability required by firearms companies will drastically decrease . 
for these reasons , i can not support the bill . 
