Bob Franks: “Mr. Speaker, 5 years have passed since 168 Americans, including 19 children, lost their lives in the bombing of the…”

“Mr. Speaker, 5 years have passed since 168 Americans, including 19 children, lost their lives in the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. But the image of the lifeless body of little Baylee Almon being carried from that building in the arms of an Oklahoma City fireman is one that still haunts us all. Over the past months, as we have worked to get this important legislation to the floor, I have had the good fortune to get to work with and know Mrs. Aren Almon-Kok. Aren was Baylee Almon's mother. Like most parents, Aren assumed that when she dropped her daughter off at the Federal building in Oklahoma City every morning, Baylee would be perfectly safe. After all, the building was located in an area with security guards and other enhanced safety features that we do not find in most private buildings. But as she recounted for me the events of that horrendous day in April 5 years ago, Aren revealed a chilling fact. She had no idea that the building that provided day-care services for her child housed a variety of Federal agencies that are often the target of terrorist threats, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, as well as the FBI.”