Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the STOP School Violence Act. Mark Barden and Nicole Hockley each had a child killed in the first grade classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the district where I live 5 years ago. They and other parents took their grief and formed a group called the Sandy Hook Promise. That group has been working tirelessly for over 5 years now, and the bill we address here today is largely a testament to the hard work that they have put in working with mental health professionals, school officials, and law enforcement to come up with real steps that will help save lives. The STOP School Violence Act will not save every life threatened by gun violence, but it will save some, and we need to do what we can. But let me be very clear. This needs to be the first step of many steps we can and should be taking in this House to address the scourge of gun violence. We have enormous support for bipartisan comprehensive background checks, for a Fix NICS bill, and for banning of bump stocks. This needs to be the first of a long line of steps that this Congress owes to the American people and owes to the students gathered on the lawn of the Capitol today and in every classroom throughout America.”