Jeff Fortenberry: “Last week, as we are all too aware, a gunman opened fire on Members of Congress and staff assistants as they were…”

“Last week, as we are all too aware, a gunman opened fire on Members of Congress and staff assistants as they were practicing for the annual bipartisan baseball game to raise money for a Washington-based charity. Among those who were injured is my dear friend and colleague, Congressman Steve Scalise, the House majority whip. As news of this event came in right before our weekly Nebraska breakfast, a 74-year tradition--by the way, a bipartisan tradition in which the entire Nebraska delegation gets together on a weekly basis and invites anyone from our home State to gather with us. As that was about to occur, I heard the news of the shootings. I felt bewildered, shocked, and numb. As further reports came in from my colleagues throughout the morning, I heard that Steve was playing second base at the time of his shooting. He crawled from the infield, leaving a trail of blood. Mr. Speaker, this isn't a movie. These are not distant figures. These are our friends and our colleagues, people who work right here in this institution. Representative Scalise and I frequently interact on the nuances of policy, and sometimes differences of policy. No matter what our disagreements--and believe me, there are hard differences even on one side of the political aisle. No matter what the differences might be, Steve always has worked with me in a cordial, professional, constructive, and, perhaps most importantly, gentlemanly manner. That is just who he is.…”