[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 171 (Thursday, October 1, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6017-S6019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



         Anniversary of the Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting

  Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, immediately after a tragedy, we wake 
up each day and feel the full force of it

[[Page S6018]]

again. The shock, sorrow, and anger can hit us so strongly, it is hard 
to breathe, and that is the first part of mourning.
  Eventually, the darkest times in our lives start to feel more 
familiar. They still hurt as much as ever, but they don't surprise us, 
and they become part of us.
  Three years ago tonight, bullets split the air at the Route 91 
Harvest Music Festival in my hometown of Las Vegas, NV. They sounded 
like fireworks, like a celebration, but these were the first shots in 
the worst mass shooting in modern American history.
  Within minutes, those present at the outdoor festival understood at 
least some of what was happening. A gunman, high up in a hotel room, 
had taken aim at the people blow. Hundreds of people were shot, and 
hundreds more wounded trying to get to safety. Fifty-eight people lost 
their lives that night and 2 more have passed from grievous wounds 
since.
  Within minutes, Nevadans began working together to save lives and 
help those in need. From those with years of training as first 
responders to just bystanders whose only qualification to help was a 
car at the ready, Las Vegans pulled together. Nurses and doctors rushed 
to hospitals, and ordinary Nevadans stood in line to give blood. 
Individuals and corporations donated their time and energy, as well as 
blankets, food, and other support.
  In the 3 years since, many all over the State of Nevada have worked 
to mark what happened through memorial crosses, sculpture, a 
commemorative community center, and many scholarships honoring the 
memory of those who lost their lives.
  Those 3 years have not erased the loss of the victims, the pain of 
the survivors, or the scars of the first responders who rushed into 
danger to save lives. If anything, the legacy of the Route 91 shooting 
has expanded during that time, not contracted.
  Like ripples on a pond, the impacts of this shooting linger. It 
affects different people in different ways. For many, fireworks on the 
Fourth of July are a reminder of what they went through that day. Geena 
Marano has learned to prepare herself for Independence Day and New 
Year's Eve, but if a car backfires unexpectedly, she has to start the 
process of reminding herself: You are safe. It is OK.
  Her sister Marisa, who was also at the festival with her, says that 
her own daughter has picked up the habit of reacting to loud noises. 
She says: ``It breaks my heart because my trauma has passed to her.''
  The fear resurfaces for these sisters in so many situations--on 
anniversaries, including of all the shootings since then; at high 
schools where Geena was doing outreach to students and feared that she 
was putting herself at risk of another shooting; passing the Strip, 
eerily empty during the pandemic like it was on the days after the 
festival; anywhere where there is darkness and music, even on an 
evening out.
  The Marano sisters are not alone. While the tragedy of the Route 91 
shooting may be 3 years behind us, for many survivors, a moment can 
bring it all roaring back. This is one of the reasons I am so committed 
to getting more funding and support for mental health and substance 
abuse treatment in this country. Just because you can't see many of the 
scars from the Route 91 festival, it doesn't mean they are not there. 
That is true for mental health in general. So many Americans deal, on a 
daily basis, with challenges that even their closest loved ones can 
struggle to understand.
  Many first responders, for instance, carry the trauma they see at 
scenes of crime, disaster, and tragedy with them. I introduced 
legislation to provide confidentiality to Federal law enforcement who 
use peer counseling services and to track law enforcement suicides in 
order to develop more effective prevention programs for our first 
responders.
  For everyone struggling with mental health concerns, peer support can 
be key, which is why I have introduced the Virtual Peer Support Act to 
help these key behavioral health programs move online to meet huge 
community needs during this pandemic because it really does take a 
community of support to help people through tough times.
  Treating the wounds, visible and invisible, from the Route 91 Harvest 
Festival shooting is only one part of what we owe the survivors. The 
other part is to take more action at the Federal level, to prevent 
attacks likes this in the first place, to reduce the gun violence that 
we have become far too accustomed to.
  Overwhelming majorities of Americans want commonsense gun reform, 
including many responsible gun owners like those in my own family. We 
can do this here in Congress. Nevada has done it. At the State level, 
we have banned the bump stocks used in the Route 91 shooting; we have 
closed the loophole that lets private sellers sell guns without 
background checks.
  We can and should do all of these things at the Federal level. I have 
pushed for all of these things during my time here in the Senate 
because no family should have to go through what I saw that Monday 
night at the Reunification Center in Las Vegas when families were 
waiting to hear what happened to their loved ones the night before at 
that concert. No one should have to struggle for years with chronic 
pain, physical or mental, when we can take sensible measures to prevent 
it.
  To all of the families I met who have been touched by this tragedy 
and for the hundreds more that I have spoken with, I want you to know 
that Nevadans haven't forgotten you. We are all still Vegas Strong. We 
are all still here with you. We are still working together to get you 
what you need in the wake of a tragedy whose impact has not faded over 
time; it has just changed and shifted.
  Tonight, at home, let us all remember those who felt the impact of 
the Route 91 shooting, from survivors, to families, to firefighters, 
nurses, and volunteers. Let us move toward an America that protects its 
communities from violence and that helps those who lived through it 
heal.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
  Ms. ROSEN. Mr. President, 3 years ago on this very date, in my 
hometown of Las Vegas, a gunman opened fire from the 32nd floor of the 
Mandalay Bay Hotel onto the unsuspecting crowd below. This horrific 
attack lasted just over 10 minutes, but in that brief window of time, 
58 innocent lives were taken and over 400 were injured. It was the 
worst mass shooting in American history. I stand here today to 
recognize the third anniversary of this act of terror.
  I want to speak today about how that October 1 shooting changed 
Nevada. This mass shooting irrevocably altered the lives of countless 
families in Las Vegas, NV, and across the country forever.
  Many of that night's victims are still dealing with the injuries, 
visible and not visible. Many are still grieving and working through 
the effects of this devastating trauma. All of them have suffered 
through a pain that no family, no friend, no spouse, no child should 
ever, ever have to endure.
  In the 3 years since the shooting, two more victims have passed away 
due to injuries they sustained that night--1 in 2019 and 1 earlier this 
year--bringing the number of lives lost up to 60--sons, daughters, 
parents, friends, neighbors--people who were loved, people who were 
part of our community, people who were taken from us far too soon, 60 
families who will forever have an empty chair at their Thanksgiving 
table.
  Amidst the violence and the terror, there were also heroes who made 
the choice to run toward danger and help others, like the courageous 
first responders who risked their lives to provide aid and everyday 
citizens who helped others escape in their cars.
  Nevada remembers October 1 because it showed us the darkest side of 
humanity, but in the aftermath, it also showed us the brightest and 
best of who we are.
  Today we commemorate the 60 lives that were lost. Today we recognize 
those who were injured and are still struggling. Today we celebrate. We 
celebrate the heroism of our community--not just in the immediate 
aftermath of that attack but in the days, weeks, months, and years 
since. We saw heroes spring into action that night and the following 
days to save lives. In the following days, we saw so many members of 
our community display incredible

[[Page S6019]]

heroism. Our community lined up to donate blood. They helped to reunite 
friends and family in the aftermath, and they helped to financially 
support victims and their families.
  The phrase ``Vegas Strong'' came into being after that time, and let 
me assure you, it is a phrase that could not be more true. The strength 
of our city is simply astounding. We work to build ourselves back up 
from crisis, side by side, arm in arm. It has taken time. It hasn't 
been easy. Even now, we are still not all the way there, but every day, 
the people of Las Vegas show unparalleled resilience. Nevadans carried 
that resilience with them. They carry it in every challenge and in 
every crisis that we face.
  I stand here today to honor the men and women who lost their lives on 
October 1, those who were injured in the attack, and the heroes who 
helped bring our city back.
  I also call on Congress to show the same kind of strength that the 
people of Las Vegas have shown. Our Nation currently faces many 
challenges. However, my colleagues must recognize the threat that gun 
violence poses to our communities. We must honor the memories of those 
who were lost. We must take commonsense action to reduce gun violence 
and ensure that more lives aren't lost.
  As a legislative body, we must act. The Bipartisan Background Checks 
Act--a bill passed by the House 582 days ago--has been waiting for a 
vote here in the Senate. Today, in honor of the memories of the lives 
that were lost, I request that the Senate bring this bill, this 
important bill, for a vote.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered