Congressional Record, Volume 153 Issue 62 (Wednesday, April 18, 2007)

[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 18, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H3486-H3492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page H3486]]
OFFERING HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES TO THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES
REGARDING THE HORRIFIC VIOLENCE AT VIRGINIA TECH AND TO STUDENTS,
FACULTY, ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN
AFFECTED

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 306) offering heartfelt condolences to
the victims and their families regarding the horrific violence at
Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, and to the students, faculty,
administration and staff and their families who have been deeply
affected by the tragic events that occurred there.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:

H. Res. 306

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) offers its heartfelt condolences to the victims and
their families regarding the horrific violence at Virginia
Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, and to the students, faculty,
administration and staff and their families who have been
deeply affected by the tragic events that occurred there;
(2) expresses its hope that losses from the mass shooting
will lead to a shared national commitment to take steps that
will help our communities prevent such tragedies from
occurring in the future; and
(3) recognizes that Virginia Tech has served as an
exemplary institution of teaching, learning, and research for
well over a century, and that the University's historic and
proud traditions will carry on.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Scott) and the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.

General Leave

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days
during which Members may insert material relevant to H. Res. 306 into
the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. SCOTT of Virginia asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to offer my
deepest sympathies to the victims and their families who suffered the
horrific shooting tragedy at Virginia Tech on Monday morning. My
thoughts and prayers go out to them, the students, faculty and staff of
the university.
Virginia Tech is one of the largest schools in Virginia, providing
higher education to more than 28,000 students. The effects of this
tragedy can be felt all across the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the
Halls of Congress and in every corner of this Nation. I represent
hundreds of Virginia Tech families, perhaps thousands of alumni, and
members of my staff have friends and family who currently attend
Virginia Tech.
Schools are meant to be sanctuaries of learning and, most
importantly, sanctuaries of safety. Parents who send their children off
to college with all the potential that a college education represents
should be content that their children will be safe.
As we mourn with the Virginia Tech community, this Congress must
explore every possible avenue towards determining what can be done to
prevent this kind of tragedy in the future, whether in high schools or
college campuses or on business premises or other places where people
may congregate. Yet we must be realistic. From what we are hearing
regarding this tragic incident, it is not clear that any law would have
been effective in deterring the kind of senseless acts that occurred.
Anyone willing to indiscriminately shoot down innocent people and then
kill themselves afterwards would not likely be deterred by any law.
Nonetheless, we must work with our colleges and universities in
developing ways to anticipate, identify and prevent any such threats
that we can. Some evidence is emerging that indicates that there may
have been signs of mental disturbances in the alleged shooter, and this
may suggest information which could lead to things to look at to avoid
these tragedies in the future.
But, Mr. Speaker, today we stand together to wish a speedy recovery
for the injured and to mourn with the families of the victims who died
in this horrific tragedy. Virginia Tech is and will remain one of the
Commonwealth of Virginia's finest institutions of higher learning, and
its proud traditions will carry on beyond this darkest hour. This event
will be with the students, faculty and staff of Virginia Tech for the
rest of their lives, but we must not let tragedies like this stop
people from living their dreams. I hope that some day all members of
the Virginia Tech community will be able to celebrate life and learning
on the campus again.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to introduce into the Record the
powerful statement presented at the service yesterday at Virginia Tech
by Nikki Giovanni. That service was attended by nine of the eleven
members of the Virginia delegation to Congress and both of our U.S.
Senators. So I will insert that statement into the Record.

We are Virginia Tech.
We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We
are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning.
We are Virginia Tech.
We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave
enough to bend to cry, and we are sad enough to know that we
must laugh again.
We are Virginia Tech.
We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did nothing
to deserve it, but neither does a child in Africa dying of
AIDS, neither do the invisible children walking the night
away to avoid being captured by the rogue army, neither does
the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for
ivory, neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh
water, neither does the Appalachian infant killed in the
middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built
with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the
land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy.
We are Virginia Tech.
The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches out with open
heart and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We
are strong, and brave, and innocent, and unafraid. We are
better than we think and not quite what we want to be. We are
alive to the imaginations and the possibilities. We will
continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and
through all our sadness.
We are the Hokies.
We will prevail.
We will prevail.
We will prevail.
We are Virginia Tech.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the headline atop the front page of yesterday's edition
of the Virginia Tech student newspaper captured what all of us are
feeling right now: ``Heartache.'' On behalf of my colleagues on the
Education and Labor Committee, my staff, my family, and my
constituents, I extend my deepest sympathy and offer my prayers to
Virginia Tech students, staff, administration and families.
Our institutions of higher education are places where students begin
to embrace adulthood, where they begin to relish a new found freedom
and indeed where they begin to realize their dreams. For that to be cut
short for these young men and women by such a senseless act is beyond
anyone's comprehension. So all we can do is mourn, comfort one another
and pray that the Virginia Tech community and our Nation may begin to
heal in the aftermath of this unspeakable tragedy.
The collective feeling inside of this building over the last few days
is much like the feeling we experienced on September 11 and the days
that followed when we cast aside our differences and united to stand
with the victims, their families and their communities. Today, just as
back then, it is a time not for politics or a time to take advantage of
such a horrific turn of events to push a partisan agenda. And similarly
today, just as back then, it is not a time to misdirect any blame
toward anyone other than the perpetrator of this massacre. In this
case, as we currently understand it, this blame belongs squarely to a
single gunman who acted selfishly, brutally and without regard for
human life.
Mr. Speaker, I also believe that we owe sincere and heartfelt
gratitude to Virginia Tech's administration, law enforcement officers,
faculty and students for the way they have handled these last 3 days.
Simply put, no one

[[Page H3487]]

could have imagined this series of crimes that has risen to the level
of the deadliest in U.S. history. These men and women have done their
very best to respond to it. And as we witnessed at the convocation a
day ago in Blacksburg, they are doing so with a deep respect and love
for the campus they call home.
May that spirit carry them through the difficult weeks, months and
years ahead. And may we learn from their example as we tackle the
challenges that we face as a Nation in the aftermath of this great
tragedy.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to my colleague from Virginia (Mr. Boucher), the representative
of the Ninth Congressional District, the home of Virginia Tech.
(Mr. BOUCHER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. BOUCHER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. Scott) for yielding this time, and I thank him for his remarks and
also express that same appreciation to the gentleman from California
for the eloquent remarks that he just rendered on the floor. It is with
a heavy heart that I offer these comments today.
The tragedy on Monday of this week was of a scale and a senselessness
that defies explanation. And it came to a university campus that is
known across our Nation for its friendliness, its peacefulness, and the
close association among the faculty and the students.
Yesterday afternoon a campus-wide convocation demonstrated to the
world that Virginia Tech's unity and sense of purpose will be
maintained and strengthened. The convocation was attended by President
Bush; by Virginia's Governor, Tim Kaine; and by the members of
Virginia's congressional delegation, both House and Senate. And I want
to express my appreciation to the Members of the House who traveled
yesterday to Blacksburg to show support for the Virginia Tech community
and to comfort those who have lost loved ones.
I also want to take the opportunity in these remarks to offer some
personal thoughts. To Virginia Tech President Charles Steger and the
professional staff of the university, thank you for the poise, the
dignity and the strength that you have demonstrated under the most
difficult and challenging of circumstances.

{time} 1050

To the skilled first responders of Blacksburg and Montgomery County,
thank you for your dedication and for your outstanding service on
Monday that saved lives and prevented our loss from being even greater.
To the families and the friends of the victims, profound sympathy for
your loss of young lives full of promise and mature lives of major
contribution.
The resolution before the House this morning is sponsored by all of
the Members of the House delegation from Virginia. Through the
resolution, Congress offers its heartfelt condolences to all who have
suffered loss, and it recognizes that Virginia Tech has served as an
exemplary institution of teaching, of learning and of research, and
that the university's proud traditions will continue.
Today, we mourn an enormous loss from a violent and senseless act.
Tomorrow and in the months to come, the resilience of southwest
Virginians and the spirit of our region that has helped to make
Virginia Tech a great institution will assure that that university has
an even stronger future. To that end, we in the House today pledge our
support.
Mr. Speaker, I urge approval of the resolution.
Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Cantor).
Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, having returned from a heart-wrenching trip
to Virginia Tech yesterday, it is hard to stand here and find words to
express the pain and sorrow that has befallen that community. As a
parent of a student approaching college age, there is absolutely
nothing more upsetting than seeing young people cut down in the prime
of their lives.
I will never forget, Mr. Speaker, the raw emotions that filled that
convocation arena yesterday as I, along with my colleagues from
Virginia, mourned with some 12,000 friends and family members of
victims, half of whom at least were clad in Hokie maroon and orange.
Nor will I forget the sight of a bereaved father who, overwhelmed with
grief, simply collapsed.
When an act of random cruelty bewilders us and pulls us down, the
sort of love, generosity, courage and heroism we have seen in
Blacksburg and its response serves as a counterforce. It replenishes us
and demonstrates, as the Bible says, that ``love is strong as death.''
We Virginians are resilient people, and I already know that under the
strong leadership of President Charlie Steger, our brothers and sisters
at Virginia Tech will band together and make it through this tragedy.
Mr. Speaker, in response to a moving plea from Virginia Tech's
resident poet toward the end of the convocation ceremony, the crowd
there erupted into cheers of ``Let's go Hokies.'' It was a moving call
to action. Let the healing begin.
Once again, Mr. Speaker, I stand here with a heavy heart, and extend
my deepest sympathies, especially to the families of those students who
lost their lives.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Goode).
Mr. GOODE. Mr. Speaker, on April 16, 2007, the news from Virginia
Tech and Blacksburg grew worse as the day progressed, and as evening
fell the number of students and faculty killed reached 33. Included in
that number was the apparent assassin, a fellow student who came to
this country from South Korea at an early age. The death toll of 33
makes the tragedy at Virginia Tech one of the deadliest at educational
institutions in the history of the United States.
Words cannot express the sorrow and hurt that the families of the
victims are experiencing. We cannot bring these mostly young men and
women back to the classroom, to the sidewalks of Blacksburg or to their
families and loved ones. But we can always remember and know that their
spirit, energy and enthusiasm in making Virginia Tech one of the finest
institutions of higher education in the world will never die and will
live in our memories forever.
At yesterday's convocation at Cassell Auditorium in the heart of the
Virginia Tech campus, those gathered heard President Bush, heard the
Governor of Virginia, heard ministers of various religions around the
globe, and heard leaders of the Tech community. In a spontaneous
happening towards the end of the program, one gentleman stood forth and
led in the Lord's Prayer as it was prayed in unison by thousands of
students, families, government leaders and others in the Virginia Tech
community.
May God bless the families of the deceased, the students at the
institution, Virginia Tech, and our country in this time of sorrow.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, it is with deep sadness that Congress today
recognizes the tragedy that indeed struck our country when it befell
the community of Virginia Tech on Monday. We offer our condolences to
the many who now grieve. I want to particularly extend my condolences
to our colleagues here for the sorrow that has taken place in their
State.
But the sorrow of parents who lost their children, students who lost
their friends, and a community which lost 33 of its own is beyond any
comfort we can give in words. Words are totally inadequate. In the days
that follow, the mourning and questioning that has already begun will
continue. And as it does, the thoughts and prayers of this Congress
and, indeed, this Nation, will remain with the students of Virginia
Tech and their families.
Among the victims there was a student resident adviser known
affectionately as ``Stack,'' a young woman whose love for horses led
her to study veterinary science; one of the world's great researchers
on cerebral palsy; and a Holocaust survivor who became an expert on
aeronautics.
These victims, of different backgrounds and different ages, are
united

[[Page H3488]]

in their love of one of America's great learning institutions, Virginia
Tech. And today and in the days to come, as we grieve their loss, we
are all Hokies.
When Robert Kennedy announced to the people of Indianapolis the news
of the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King, he offered comfort
with the words of an ancient Greek playwright, Aeschylus, when he said,
``Today, when no words can describe our sadness, or heal our grief,
these words again give our Nation hope. In our sleep, pain which cannot
forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair,
against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.''
Today, on behalf of the students, faculty, staff and families of
Virginia Tech, we pray for that wisdom.
I hope that it is a comfort to all who are grieving today that so
many people in our country, indeed, in the world, mourn their loss and
are praying for them at this sad time.
Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis).
Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that
I address this Chamber today. As the parent of four children in
college, I share the horror and the rage, the grief and the sorrow of
the larger Virginia community.
I rise today to urge my colleagues to support this resolution
expressing our sorrow and offering condolences over the tragic events
that took place Monday at Virginia Tech. Our hearts, our prayers and
our thoughts go out to the families of those who lost lives, the
injured and their families, and all those affected by this terrible
tragedy, including the family of the troubled young man who perpetrated
this crime.

{time} 1100

The coming together of communities, the reaching over the fences to
lend a hand of support at this hour of need has been touching. From the
Washington Nationals wearing Virginia Tech caps last night, to the
community groups that gathered spontaneously across the Commonwealth to
share their sorrow, the picture of the Commonwealth today is one we
can, as usual, take great pride in. Yesterday I traveled with my
colleagues to Blacksburg for the convocation, and last evening over 500
Korean Americans assembled at the Fairfax County Government Center to
express their outrage, to offer their prayers, to start the healing
process that follows such tragic events.
Mr. Speaker, we Virginians are known for looking out for each other
and this has been no different. The outpouring of love, sympathy and
caring for each other has been astonishing. The pictures of students
comforting each other, of students and teachers helping each other
search for answers in these dark hours has been particularly moving.
All of us around the Commonwealth must come together to find the
strength to move forward. We're family. We've been deeply wounded.
That's what families do when they're hurt. They look to each other for
strength, for inspiration and for meaning. Mr. Speaker, we hurt for the
victims and we honor their lives. That's what families do. We close
ranks and lend each other support in our darkest hours. Benjamin
Franklin said more than 200 years ago that those things that hurt
instruct. Let us learn from this. Let us hurt. It's good for the soul.
It helps us to heal. It is, sadly, the only way to move forward.
Again, I urge my colleagues to support the resolution.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader, 1 minute.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I join all 434 of my colleagues in rising to
express our sorrow, our regret, our sympathy, yes, and in some respects
our outrage that this calamity has been visited on so many of our
promising and wonderful young people.
Mr. Speaker, as a grieving Nation tries to comprehend the senseless,
horrific violence on the campus of Virginia Tech University on Monday,
the full scope of this tragedy is only now beginning to come to light.
Thirty-two innocent people, 32 young people of promise, some people not
so young who were at great risk and survived, 32 people were stolen
from their families and friends at the hand of a deeply disturbed young
man who ended the carnage by taking his own life. More than two dozen
others were injured during this random, murderous rampage.
Today, a profoundly saddened Nation recognizes that these were not
mere strangers, although we may not have known the victims personally.
They were members of our national family and in so many ways they were
a reflection of us. They were hope for the future. They were brothers,
sisters, mothers and fathers who were so full of life, hope and promise
for a better future, for themselves, their families, their country and
indeed the world.
Those slain included a 20-year-old political science major from
Dumont, New Jersey, who attended Virginia Tech on an Air Force
scholarship; an 18-year-old freshman from Centreville, Virginia who
distinguished herself in drama and on Virginia Tech's dance team; a 22-
year-old senior from Martinez, Georgia who was majoring in psychology,
biology and English and who served as a role model for many; a 76-year-
old engineering professor and Holocaust survivor who survived one of
the worst terrorists and despots the world has ever seen, Adolf Hitler,
to come home and to teach young people, to make them better able to
meet the future and to have that ability robbed from him by a senseless
act. And so many others, Mr. Speaker.
We may never know the answer to the question ``Why?'' Why have so
many loving, promising people been taken through such senseless
violence? However, let us mourn their loss and extend our heartfelt
condolences and sympathy to their families and to their friends and to
their fellow students.
Today, our thoughts and prayers are also with those who have been
injured as well as Virginia Tech's students, faculty and staff, alumni
and the entire campus community as they endeavor to cope with this
monumental tragedy. Let us remind them they are not alone. Not only are
they in our hearts but they will be in our prayers. I thank the
gentleman from Virginia for giving me this time to join him and the
Virginia delegation in recognizing the tragedy and reflecting our
remembrance of those who have been hurt, those who have lost their
lives, and those whom they left behind.
Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the amount of time left.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California has 11
minutes. The gentleman from Virginia has 12 minutes.
Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, at this time I am happy to yield 4 minutes
to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte).
Mr. GOODLATTE. I thank the gentleman. I thank the majority leader and
the Speaker and the other Members of our delegation for their comments.
The tranquil campus of Virginia Tech and the town of Blacksburg has
been shattered by the actions of a lone gunman. The horror that the
Virginia Tech community has experienced this week is something that
every parent, every American hopes they never have to learn has
affected their families and friends.
I have a great appreciation for Virginia Tech, one of America's
preeminent research institutions, having advanced from one of the
original land grant universities. Thousands of people in my district
which neighbors Blacksburg have gone to school there, have sent their
children there, and are members of Hokie Nation. During my time in this
body, I have had graduates and students of Virginia Tech work and
intern for me. For years I have known what a special place it is, with
its affiliated campuses and offices spread throughout the Sixth
District and across the great Commonwealth of Virginia. Yet it is with
great sadness that the rest of the world has come to know the
compassion of Virginia Tech only through this tragedy. Although this
horrendous and unspeakable violence showed the worst of mankind, it
also showed what those of us who have been a part of the Tech community
for years have always known--the students, the instructors, the
administrators, and the citizens of Blacksburg care deeply for one
another and take great pride in their community. Even in the worst
circumstances, the Virginia Tech community showed great compassion for
their fellow man and did what they could to help each other. Liviu

[[Page H3489]]

Librescu, a survivor of the Holocaust, blocked the doorway of his
classroom so that his students could climb out the windows to safety.
Ryan Clark, a resident adviser in the West Ambler Johnston Hall, rushed
into the hallway to help his fellow students when the first attack came
and became the second victim. And I was deeply saddened to learn that
one of my constituents, Henry Lee, a graduate of William Fleming High
School in Roanoke, was among those who died in the attack on Norris
Hall. Two other of my constituents from Harrisonburg, Virginia, Heidi
Miller, an undergraduate, and Guillermo Colman, a graduate student,
were wounded and thankfully are okay. Now, following this brutal
action, throughout the campus and community, students are relying on
each other to cope with what has happened, but they will not let the
sorrow and pain that has overtaken them this week be the lasting legacy
to those whose lives were lost. Under the leadership of President
Charles Steger, the Virginia Tech community will become stronger as a
result of this. Their compassion will reach far beyond the town of
Blacksburg, deep into what is affectionately known as Hokie Nation.
Their vocal pride in their community will not be silenced by the
actions of one misguided soul.

{time} 1110

I was very moved as I witnessed the process begun yesterday at the
convocation at Cassell Coliseum. Speaker after speaker, including the
President, the Governor, and so many great leaders at Tech spoke of not
only the grief, but of overcoming the grief and moving forward to a
brighter and better future.
For the families who have lost sons and daughters, fathers and
brothers, mothers and sisters, I grieve for you and your loved ones.
You will forever remain in the prayers of this Nation, and I hope that
in time you can come to find peace.
For the Virginia Tech community, although we grieve today, and what
has happened will never leave our minds, I know that you will take this
tragedy and use it to build a stronger campus and a more compassionate
community for all.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes
to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).
(Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues in expressing my
deep condolences to the families of Virginia Tech University.
Let me begin by commending Representative Bobby Scott for introducing
this very important resolution. As you know, Representative Scott is a
member of the Education and Workforce Committee and has shown a
tremendous interest in young people throughout his State and the
Nation, and this exemplifies the deep concern that he has for all of
our children.
Let me commend the Virginia delegation for its coming together and
uniting with the Governor of the State of Virginia with the State
legislators, with the students to see about a way that healing can
start. To the families and friends of the 32 victims, to the students,
to the faculty and the staff, to the alumni of Virginia Tech, we
express our condolences.
As a member of the Education and Workforce Committee, we are deeply
concerned about the future of our Nation. We are concerned about our
young people whether they are in preschool, in elementary or secondary
education, whether they are in the institutions of higher education.
And we continually learn, and we have to continually change as Toffler
said in his book, ``Future Shock,'' 20 or 30 years ago, that if
institutions and agencies do not change internally with the same rate
of change externally, then those institutions or agencies become
obsolete. And this is, again, another example of how we have to rethink
how we operate. New Jersey had 4 students of the 32 who perished in
this senseless act, and so our hearts are heavy, also.
I think that we have to see how we can assist. Those of us in New
Jersey heard little about Virginia Tech 20, 30 years ago until they
became a part of the Big East, and then we did hear about Virginia Tech
because they had overwhelming sports teams, they had such tremendous
student support. It is a great institution. And we know that they left
the Big East for the ACC, but we have fond memories of our competitive
competition.
I am a Seton Hall graduate, so we were competing many times.
But I think that we have to use this example to see how we can heal.
I think that we need to take this tragedy and see how we can better
identify students who have problems, students who go to elite schools,
who are lonely, students that have situations that need to be dealt
with.
We have in our inner cities many young people who don't have the
opportunity to go to higher learning. We need to really, I think, as a
former national president of the YMCAs of the United States, I think we
need to focus more of our attention on the young people. A Nation that
loses its young is losing a part of its future. We need to really spend
more time on our young so that we develop them, so that we can nurture
them, so that we can be sure that our country can be all that it can be
as we move through this new millennium.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.
I would just like to thank the gentleman from New Jersey who points
out that this is a national incident with students from all over the
country. And I would like to thank him for recognizing me as one of the
sponsors of the resolution. The Virginia delegation came together to
present this resolution under the leadership of Mr. Boucher, so we
appreciate his leadership today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, at this time I recognize the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Wolf) for 3 minutes.
Mr. WOLF. I want to thank Mr. Scott and Mr. Boucher for bringing this
resolution up.
Words are inadequate at this time. And our community and our State
and the Nation have been devastated by what has taken place.
Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today in support of
this resolution offering the condolences of the House to the victims
and their families of the horrific violence at Virginia Tech in
Blacksburg, Virginia, on Monday morning, and to the students, the
faculty, administration, staff and their families who have forever been
changed by this tragedy.
My heart is heavy for the entire grieving Virginia Tech community and
the families in the 10th District of Virginia who are mourning today
because the young, promising lives of their children have ended.
According to the morning news we have received, there are going to be
at least five victims who call the 10th Congressional District, my
district, home.
There really are no words that can adequately express, and as a
father of 5 children and a grandfather of 12, words you can say, that
can express the sorrow we are feeling for the families today. But with
this resolution, it is my hope that the families in my district and the
families and loved ones of all the victims will know that this
district, this Commonwealth of Virginia and indeed the entire Nation
are with them in spirit, offering them our heartfelt sympathy and
prayers.
With my colleagues in the Virginia delegation, I attended the very
moving and emotional convocation yesterday in Blacksburg. I was
impressed with the Tech community, the students and staff,
administration. President Bush did an outstanding job, as did Governor
Kaine, in addressing the students and the administration. It was truly
a feeling of family coming together to offer love and support to each
other in their time of grief and loss.
There is still a numbness and incredulity about what happened on the
Virginia Tech campus just 2 days ago. The wounds in Blacksburg are
deep, but with the unity of spirit and the deep faith I felt yesterday
on the Tech campus, it is my hope that as the tomorrows come, this
outstanding institution and all those who are associated with it will
find hope and peace.
May God bless all of us at this very, very difficult time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes
to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter).
Mr. PERLMUTTER. Thank you, Mr. Scott.

[[Page H3490]]

To the members of the Virginia delegation, I am here with a heavy
heart, as all of you are. This is the kind of tragedy whose ripples
will affect the faculty, the staff, law enforcement, Blacksburg and the
State of Virginia for a long time.
Eight years ago tomorrow we had Columbine in my area. I live about 2
or 3 miles from Columbine. The emotions that I feel and the grief that
I feel for you bring back a lot of memories. I wish I hadn't seen this
play before; I wish I didn't know this script. But I can assure all of
you, if you need anything, you have friends in Colorado. We have been
through this before.
It is a difficult time. There will be mourning; there will be finger
pointing; there will be all sorts of things. And I would just say to
all of you, we feel your pain. Your sons and daughters are our sons and
daughters.

{time} 1120

We will be there, whatever you need. We have been through this. The
disbelief and the despair that all of us feel today, we felt 8 years
ago. If we can help in any way, you have friends in Colorado.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield to my
colleague from the Eighth Congressional District of Virginia (Mr.
Moran) 4 minutes.
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. I thank my good friend and colleague for
yielding, and I appreciate the fact that this resolution has come to
the floor.
It is difficult to imagine a more heartbreaking moment than to have a
family receive a call from the university, where they thought they had
sent their child to a secure, nurturing, learning environment, only to
find out that their child's life has been cut off before any of their
potential could be realized. What a horrible loss. And to think that
more than 30 of those calls have had to take place over the last 2
days.
This is a time for grieving, for trying to console. But, Mr. Speaker,
as important and appropriate as it is to grieve after the fact, I think
it may be even more appropriate for this body to stand up before the
fact, because we know that this type of tragedy, perhaps not in as
large a scale, but this type of tragedy will happen again. Whether it
is in the workforce or on a college campus or a high school campus or
on the street, innocent victims will be mowed down. And it happens more
often in our country than in any other civilized nation, than in any
other civilized nation on this planet. And the reason, Mr. Speaker, is
because it is simply too easy to obtain a firearm.
If you are a criminal or mentally deranged or simply emotionally
upset, virtually anyone can go to a store, even a retail department
store, and buy a weapon of mass destruction. That is what has happened
here and will happen again. And I know that the National Rifle
Association is able to brag that it controls the gun control agenda now
from the White House. And the majority of Members of Congress are not
going to stand up to the NRA. But the fact is, Mr. Speaker, I think we
have a responsibility, particularly at moments like this when we are so
acutely aware of the carnage that the proliferation of weapons
throughout our society creates. When we are aware of the tragedy that
this laxity causes, this lack of courage to stand up to gun
manufacturers and say it is time, Mr. Speaker, no matter how
politically difficult it might be, to try to reduce the number of
weapons in our society. I'm not talking about those that are meant for
hunting. People in Canada have all kinds of guns, but their rifles are
used for hunting. They are not used for stalking and killing other
human beings.
It is the proliferation of handguns, the kinds of guns that were used
in this tragic incident and the ammunition clips that should be banned
under the assault weapon legislation we let expire that have to be
brought under control. And it is we, the people's representatives, who
have to stand up and do something about this so that it doesn't have to
occur again. As appropriate as it is, as I said, now to grieve with
those families and to offer condolences, it is more imperative that we
stand up before the fact, before another such tragedy occurs because of
our lack of political courage.
Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I would urge our colleagues to support this
resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, we would urge passage of the
resolution. I want to thank my delegates from Virginia. The Virginia
delegation came together on this. We were together yesterday, and we
appreciate the support from across the country. We urge passage of the
resolution.
Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, there are no words to describe the sorrow and
the pain that we feel about the catastrophe that unfolded at Virginia
Tech on Monday, April 16th. The most deadly shooting in our nation's
history, it is indeed a tragedy of monumental proportions.
Among the 33 deaths in the attack at Virginia Tech were several New
Jerseyans: Matt La Porte of Dumont; Michael Pohle from Raritan
Township; and Julia Pryde, a biological systems engineering graduate
student from Middletown and a resident of the 12th Congressional
District. Two other Virginia Tech students killed in the attack--Mary
Read and Caitlin Hammaren--had ties to New Jersey, and another--Sean
McQuade of Mullica Hill--remains in critical condition.
Schools, colleges, and universities should be a safe refuge for
students and faculty. They are environments that are open to new ideas,
encourage learning in all aspects of academics and life, and help young
adults to discover themselves and prepare for a career. Like students
at colleges all over the country, the students at Virginia Tech are
ambitious, intelligent, and community-oriented young people. They chose
Virginia Tech, I presume, because of its high academic quality and
because of the safe, pleasant community where the university is
located.
I cannot begin to understand the pain and confusion that students
must feel about the tragic events that have gripped the quaint town of
Blacksburg. I can only begin to understand the panic and terror that
parents, family members, and friends must have felt wondering about the
safety of their loved ones.
In times of tragedy like these, it is important for a community to
come together to help each other come to terms with the calamity that
has occurred. I hope and pray that the friends and family members of
the victims, the students and faculty at Virginia Tech, and others find
solace and comfort as we deal together with this historic and
heartbreaking episode.
This tragedy should lead other schools to review and develop their
own plans for security, emergency response, and communication. Also,
Congress and the entire country should reflect on what appears to be a
culture of ever-increasing violence, on the psychology and methods of
perpetrators of violence, and on the easy availability of guns. If
there is a federal role in dealing with these matters, and I think
there is, Congress should act.
Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, these words that I speak today do not come
easily. They flow forth from a deep reservoir of sorrowful emotions
that compel me to take this podium.
What we witnessed on the campus of Virginia Tech was too much. Too
much for anyone to bear. Too much for a nation to bear. America weeps,
Mr. Speaker.
In my life, I've seen the horrors of war. It is something I wish upon
no one. To have battlefield casualties on an American college campus,
is something I never thought I would see.
33 lives . . . 33 young, bright lives on the cusp of experiencing the
greatness that life has to offer.
We must be mindful of everything we do. We must ask ourselves what we
are doing that has created a world where this could happen. As much as
it hurts we must reexamine what kind of society we want to be.
I cannot even begin to comprehend how such a terrible tragedy like
this came to pass. It would be too easy to say that this horrific
incident calls for some type of action by this body.
That may become necessary, but that is for another day. Today is a
day for us to look within ourselves. To examine who we are as a people
and never forget what happened on April 16, 2007.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the
resolution. But I do so with a heart still full of sorrow over a loss
so overwhelming. Two days ago, on Monday, April 15, 2007, at Virginia
Tech University, one of the nation's great land grant colleges, we
witnessed senseless acts of violence on a scale unprecedented in our
history. Neither the mind nor the heart can contemplate a cause that
could lead a human being to inflict such injury and destruction on
fellow human beings. The loss of life and innocence at Virginia Tech is
a tragedy over which all Americans mourn and the thoughts and prayers
of people of goodwill everywhere go out to the victims and their
families. In the face of such overwhelming grief, I hope they can take
comfort in the certain knowledge that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Mr. Speaker, Virginia Tech is a special place to those who claim
membership in

[[Page H3491]]

``Hokie Nation.'' Founded in 1872 as a land-grant college named
Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and located in Blacksburg,
38 miles southwest of Roanoke, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University, or ``Virginia Tech,'' is now a comprehensive, innovative
research university with the largest number of degree offerings in
Virginia, more than 100 campus buildings, a 2,600-acre main campus,
off-campus educational facilities in six regions, a study-abroad site
in Switzerland, and a 1,700-acre agriculture research farm near the
main campus. Through a combination of its three missions of teaching
and learning, research and discovery, and outreach and engagement,
Virginia Tech continually strives to accomplish the charge of its
motto: Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).
Virginia Tech is home to 28,469 students and 1,304 full-time faculty
members, who together created an environment conducive to learning,
discovery, and achievement. Little wonder the typical freshman admitted
to the Class of 2010 had a high school grade point average of 3.80, and
an average cumulative SAT reasoning test score was 1231. ``Hokie
Nation,'' is comprised of more than 190,000 living alumni from every
state and more than 100 countries.
Virginia Tech offers bachelor's degree programs through its seven
undergraduate academic colleges: Agriculture and Life Sciences,
Architecture and Urban Studies, Engineering, Liberal Arts and Human
Sciences, Natural Resources, Pamplin College of Business, and Science.
The university offers masters and doctoral degree programs through
the Graduate School and a professional degree from the Virginia-
Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. It is also a research
powerhouse. In fiscal year 2006, the university generated $321.7
million for research program. Each year, Virginia Tech receives
significant external support for research, instruction, Extension, and
public service projects. Support for these projects originates from an
ever-expanding base of sponsors. Today, nearly 775 sponsors fund more
than 3,500 active projects. Researchers pursue new discoveries in
agriculture, biotechnology, information and communication technology,
transportation, energy management (including leadership in fuel-cell
technology and power electronics), and a wide range of other
engineering, scientific, social science, and creative fields. This
research led to 87 disclosures, 17 patents, and 20 licenses in calendar
year 2005.

But that seemed to matter little on Monday, which was the last day on
earth for more than 30 members of the Virginia Tech family. Among them
were future scientists, engineers, teachers, doctors, soldiers,
fathers, mothers, friends, and leaders. All of them cut down in a hail
of bullets before they reached the prime of their lives. So many
promising lives interrupted; so many promising lives wasted.
The New York Times noted in its editorial that as the investigation
of the Virginia Tech shootings unfolds in coming days, it will be
important to ascertain whether there were any hints of the tragedy to
come and what might be done to head off such horrors in the future.
Campuses are inherently open communities and it is not easy to
guarantee a safe haven.
But the carnage at Virginia Tech also commands that we here in this
body take a stand against senseless acts of violence whether here in
our own country or elsewhere around the world. It is long past time for
our national community to declare that injuries inflicted on any member
of the community by another simply based on hate or hatred of
differences poses a threat to the peace and security of the entire
community. For that reason alone, such conduct must be condemned and
punished severely, if not prevented altogether.
As the poet Nikki Giovanni stated so eloquently yesterday in her
stirring address at the convocation held by the university yesterday in
Blacksburg:

Mr. Speaker, we will prevail against senseless acts of violence. We
will prevail against uncontrolled rage and anger. We will prevail
against hatred and intolerance.
Today we are all members of the Hokie Nation. We are Virginia Tech.
Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to lament the
tragedy that has held our attention and broken our hearts nationwide as
we hear more and more about the massacre at Virginia Tech this week . .
. And I thank my friend the gentleman from Virginia for bringing this
resolution to the floor today.
Sometimes a child of this nation is pathologically disturbed beyond
control or even hope of understanding that murderous pathology . . .
but in the events that follow horror--Columbine, or 9-11, or the
massacre at Virginia Tech . . . or standing on a faraway battlefield .
. . or even the spectacle of being the object of nation ridicule . . .
our children have inspired us with their guts and their fast reactions
in the face of numbing shock.
They reacted well to events that defied understanding, and touched
our hearts and gave us a glimpse of our future. Our nation is in the
hands of these extraordinary young people, all over the nation . . .
those almost too young to remember Columbine, tempered by their early
teenage prism of 9-11. This nation should find our comfort in the
lessons from our children: adversity brings hope and when the worst of
humanity shows itself, the best of humanity raises up to heal together.
Just now, there are thousands of facts still unknown about the
Virginia Tech massacre . . . thousands of second guesses about all
manner of the university response . . . and certainly thousands of
questions and many more stories to come.
Today, I join parents from South Texas and around the nation as we
pray for the students that were lost in Blacksburg, for their families
. . . and for the millions of students and parents now psychologically
wounded by the reality that students in college are hardly safe from
dangerous minds and wounded souls.
To the families of those who lost loved ones, whose loved ones were
wounded, and for the families of those students at Virginia Tech
mourning their friends . . . know that this House--and the larger
American family--are praying for them and standing with them at this
most difficult moment. We are also praying for the family of the
gunman; and we urge that there be no retaliation for these hideous
acts.
When a parent sends a child to college, we are so proud. We are also
worried about the choices they will make as they leave the safe harbor
of our homes and neighborhoods . . . but today, there's a whole new
horror to contend with.
As we learn more in the coming weeks, my colleagues and I are
committed to finding new solutions to the monumental problems our
schools and colleges face in protecting the safety of our children. And
we will remain forever sobered by the fact that nothing can ever
completely protect us--or our children--from a madman intent on
killing.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I too rise in shock and dismay over
the events that unfolded on the campus of Virginia Technical Institute
on Monday this week.
My community is fortunate that none of our students there were
injured or killed, but our grief remains at the loss of the 31 students
and teachers who were killed, and the obviously disturbed young man who
orchestrated this horrible tragedy.
When we send our children off to College, we do so with anxiety just
because they are leaving the ``nest''. They are growing up and the
relationship between us is changing. Never in our wildest imagination
or fears do we think that we are sending them into harms way. All of
that changed on Monday!
And so I sadly join my colleagues in support of H. Res. 306 to offer
the heartfelt condolences on behalf of the people of the U.S. Virgin
Islands to the victims, their families, their fellow students and
faculty.

[[Page H3492]]

In doing so I take this opportunity to also remember the losses
suffered at Kent state, I have a dear friend, Corinne Forbes Plaskett
who was a student there at the time. She has never forgotten the horror
of that experience and I am sure the events of Monday have reawakened
memories for her and others who were there at that time in Ohio.
May God bless all who were affected by both events, and may He bless
us all!
Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.
Res. 306, expressing our condolences to the victims and the families
involved in the tragedy which occurred this week at Virginia Tech
University.
April 16 brought terrible loss to all Americans and particularly to
those who are part of a college or university. The nearly 30 years I
spent working on a college campus were some of the most fulfilling of
my life. I know how much a campus can become a community and the people
within it, a family. In some ways, a campus is a haven--of learning and
growth--in which students feel safe and free to pursue their dreams and
aspirations. To young Americans, a campus is among the last places
where such horrific fears could be realized.
When we look back on what occurred this week at Virginia Tech, we
will honor those whose lives were taken and those who gave their lives
to protect others. We will remember that we can never safeguard against
every threat. Still, we can take steps to protect the precious
communities in which we live. We must do more to ensure that lethal
weapons do not fall into the wrong hands. We must equip campuses and
cities with adequate emergency communication systems, so that critical
information gets out in time.
In the meantime, Mr. Speaker, we stand with the friends and family
members around the world who lost loved ones on that tragic April
morning in Virginia.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 306.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will
be postponed.

____________________