[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 29, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S2092]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING MARTHA ODOM

  Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, you and I are the elected representatives 
of our States, and sometimes we speak not on behalf of ourselves but on 
behalf of our entire State. Now is one of those times.
  Everyone in Louisiana felt grief at the mass shooting in Shreveport 
that I spoke to on this floor last week. Now I speak for all in 
Louisiana who feel grief at the mass shooting in Baton Rouge last week, 
and our whole State feels this grief. We all grieve.
  I have a friend Collis Temple--famous in Louisiana--the first African 
American who played basketball for LSU. He called to say that he, as a 
parent, felt the grief of this young lady's family, and it was Collis 
who compelled me to speak today because every family can imagine no 
longer having their child or their sibling.
  We all grieve. Every classmate can picture walking to school and 
seeing an empty chair where their classmate once sat.
  We all grieve. Every friend can imagine going on a carefree senior 
skip day. If you are older than 18, you can remember when you were once 
18 and something awful happened--indeed, every friend grieves.
  What do we say when words fail? We can say that all, in my State, in 
my country, are deeply and profoundly sorry and that all of Louisiana 
grieves with Martha's family.
  So I ask that this body and all who are here join in a quiet moment 
for the life of Martha Odom, for everyone who loved her, loves her 
still, and will always love her.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.

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