Katherine Clark: “Today, I rise with a heavy heart, a heart of grief. I grieve for a Nation where 111 Americans are shot and killed every…”

“Today, I rise with a heavy heart, a heart of grief. I grieve for a Nation where 111 Americans are shot and killed every single day. I grieve for a generation of kids growing up surrounded by violence. I think of William Cho, 6 years old, who lost his parents and his younger brother, not living in a war zone but going to a shopping mall in our country. I grieve for the parents who have suffered the inconceivable pain of losing a child, a beloved family member, parents like Patricia and Manny Oliver, who are here with us today, whose son, Joaquin, was murdered alongside 16 classmates and staff in Parkland, Florida. Ahead of Mother's Day weekend, Patricia and Manny published a children's book, a book that illustrates the horror of America's gun epidemic from the perspective of its youngest victims. Madam Speaker, I would like to read from ``Joaquin's First School Shooting.'' May it give some pause to all of us, especially my colleagues who continue to prioritize guns over our children. ``Joaquin's First School Shooting.'' The end of the day, was also my own. Bled out on the floor, and never got home. We heard a loud bang! Then off went the alarm. My classmates freaked out, but I tried to keep calm. Out in the hall, a killer had a gun. He shot into a class, then came right for us. He took aim and fired--again, and again, and again. One life at a time, my friends met their end. He came up the stairs, hunting for more.…”