[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 46 (Thursday, March 15, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H1613-H1614]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kustoff of Tennessee). The Chair 
recognizes the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Marshall) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, last night, 406 of my colleagues and I 
voted to pass the STOP School Violence Act and the Securing Our Schools 
Act.
  As a father of four, when I dropped each of my kids off at Jefferson 
Elementary School in Great Bend, Kansas, I felt confident that they 
were going to have a safe place where they could learn and grow; but, 
today, we have seen time and time again that we need to revisit how we 
are protecting our children.
  The STOP School Violence Act will train students, teachers, faculty, 
and local law enforcement on ways to identify threats and report them. 
It goes back to the message we have been relaying for ages: see 
something, say something.

                              {time}  1015

  This bill recognizes that sometimes our children and educators often 
do not have the training to spot some of the warning signs, and that is 
why it is critical that we provide training so students and personnel 
can recognize and report threats before they occur.
  We also looked at ways to better our reporting process so that, when 
a threat is made, we have an effective way to log and intervene. To do 
so, this bill provides funding for States to upgrade their technology 
and develop an anonymous reporting system through a mobile app, 
hotline, and website. Not only does it allocate funds for violence, 
prevention training, and modernize our reporting protocols, it also 
allocates funds to improve school security equipment.
  The STOP School Violence Act, coupled last night with the Securing 
Our Schools Act, grants funds for schools to install panic buttons and 
further hardening and protection of our schools. These are steps 
forward that approach the issue of school safety from several angles, 
and I am proud to have cosponsored both pieces of legislation.
  I want to make sure that my message to everyone back home today is 
clear. The House of Representatives is listening, and our school 
grounds should no longer be soft targets. After last night's vote, the 
STOP School Violence Act and the Securing Our Schools Act joins the Fix 
NICS Act that has been waiting on a vote from the Senate since last 
December. Fix NICS would strengthen background checks and close 
critical loopholes.
  Today I urge my friends in the Senate to pass these bills so that our 
Nation's schools and children can be safer.


                   Recognizing Resiliency of Kansans

  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, as droughts continue to worsen across 
Kansas, now impacting all 105 counties, we are again at the point of 
seeing wildfires whip across the State of Kansas. While so far none of 
them have come close to the size of last year's Starbuck fire, there is 
reason to be concerned.
  Today I want to recognize the resiliency of Kansans who have been 
coming together to help neighbors and strangers alike, as well as 
soldiers from

[[Page H1614]]

the Kansas National Guard. These guardsmen work in cooperation with 
local firefighters and emergency personnel to combat fires and save 
people, property, and animals.
  I stand today to commend their hard work and thank them for their 
service. These fires are a stark reminder of the devastation created by 
wildfires last year and provide a reminder of the importance in 
standing together in the face of difficulties.

                          ____________________