madam speaker , i thank the gentleman from florida for yielding me this time . 
madam speaker , i oppose this closed rule and the underlying bill . 
this bill demonstrates how much of a stranglehold that the nra and gun industry lobbyists have over the majority party . 
this bill is not being considered today because it is good policy ; it is being considered because the majority leadership is bowing down to special interests . 
while the proponents of this bill claim that the intent of this legislation is to protect jobs at mom-and-pop gun stores from reckless lawsuits , the truth is that the bill is all about protecting profits for the gun industry . 
ensuring its yearly profits , not protecting jobs nor safeguarding gun sales , is atop the priorities of the gun industry . 
this bill protects any gun manufacturer , distributor , or seller from any claim of negligence . 
any lawsuit , current or future , would not be considered by the courts if this bill were signed into law . 
madam speaker , on christmas eve in 1999 , in my hometown of worcester , massachusetts , 26-year-old danny guzman was shot and killed . 
a week later , police recovered the 9 millimeter kahr arms handgun used to kill young danny . 
through ballistics , the police determined that the gun was one of several stolen from kahr arms by kahr employees with criminal records . 
according to the police , one of the employees had been hired by kahr to work in its worcester manufacturing facility , despite the fact that he had a long history of drug addiction , theft to support that addiction , alcohol abuse and violence , including several assault and battery charges . 
police determined that the guns were stolen from kahr before the weapons had serial numbers stamped on them and were then resold to criminals in exchange for money and drugs . 
in march 2000 , police arrested a man who pled guilty to the gun thefts . 
the investigation also led to the arrest of a kahr employee , a man with a criminal history who pled guilty to stealing from kahr a pistol and a slide for another weapon . 
now , kahr did not conduct any criminal or general background checks on its employees . 
the company did not even have any metal detectors or x-ray machines or security cameras or other similar devices to monitor the facility or to determine if employees were stealing , nor were there guards to check employees at the end of their shifts . 
mr. speaker , anybody with half a brain has to understand that this company was negligent . 
now , if this bill becomes law , gun manufacturers like kahr arms would be shielded from negligence . 
and the guzman family 's suit would be dismissed . 
this is just one of the many stories that illustrate the reckless and irresponsible nature of many , not all , but many in the gun industry . 
and this bill will only further shield them from accountability . 
now , do not be fooled . 
the nra and the gun industry want this bill not because jobs are threatened . 
they want this bill because they fear their precious profits will be affected should they be forced to change some of their irresponsible and reckless practices . 
to my colleagues who support this bill , tell the guzman family that they have no right to be angry at the worcester-based manufacturer . 
tell them that the death of their beloved danny guzman was just bad luck and could not have been prevented . 
the fact of the matter is , it could have been prevented by more responsible practices by kahr arms . 
i have to believe that gun owners all across this country would not object to ensuring that gun manufacturers allow for more responsible practices in terms of protecting what they manufacture . 
this is not about taking people 's guns away . 
this is about protecting people . 
mr. speaker , i would urge my colleagues to vote `` no '' on the rule and the underlying legislation . 
