[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17283]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    THE CONNECTICUT SCHOOL CHILDREN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Poe) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, there is nothing more Americana than 
the image of happy children at school during the Christmas season. Last 
week, that Norman Rockwell picture was stolen by the murders of our 
greatest natural resource, our children.
  Here are photos of 23 of the 26 victims that were murdered that day. 
We should know their photographs. We should know their names. They 
were: Chase Kowalski, 7 years of age; James Mattioli, 6; Jack Pinto, 6; 
Caroline Previdi, 6; Avielle Richman, 6; Benjamin Wheeler, 6 years of 
age; Allison Wyatt, age 6; Catherine Hubbard, 6 years of age; Daniel 
Barden, 7 years old; Grace McDonnell, 7; Emilie Parker, 6 years of age; 
Jesse Lewis, age 6; Ana Marquez-Greene, 6; Noah Pozner, 6; Jessica 
Rekos, 6; Josephine Gray, age 7; Madeleine Hsu, age 6; Charlotte Bacon, 
age 6; Olivia Engel, age 6; Dylan Hockley, age 6. Those were the 
children.
  Here are the names of the teachers: Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, age 47; 
Victoria Soto, age 27; Anne Marie Murphy, age 52; Lauren Rousseau, 30; 
Mary Sherlach, 56; Rachel D'Avino, age 29.
  Madam Speaker, these were real people. Real victims, real children, 
and real teachers of Newtown, Connecticut.
  The people of Connecticut have started burying these victims of this 
assault on America. And all Americans can relate to some extent to this 
crime that has occurred at this elementary school.
  Madam Speaker, I have four kids and 10 grandkids. Three of my 
daughters are teachers by profession. My wife is a first grade 
elementary schoolteacher. No parent ever wants to bury their child. We 
just don't want to do that. We never want our children to die in their 
youth, like these children did.
  So, Madam Speaker, we mourn with the families of Connecticut. We must 
honor the victims in our prayers and in our words and ask the good Lord 
to bless them, their families, the people of Connecticut, and, yes, our 
country as well.
  And that's just the way it is.

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