[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 14555]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE BRAVERY AND HEROISM OF THOSE WHO SELFLESSLY PREVENTED A 
               DEADLY TERRORIST ATTACK ON AUGUST 21, 2015

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 259.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 259) honoring the bravery and heroism 
     of those who selflessly prevented a deadly terrorist attack 
     and saved countless lives while aboard a passenger train 
     bound from Amsterdam to Paris on August 21, 2015.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I submitted this resolution 
recognizing and commending those who boldly prevented what could have 
amounted to an unspeakable tragedy aboard a high-speed train headed 
toward Paris, France, on August 21, 2015.
  Those who took these courageous actions were: U.S. Air Force Airman 
First Class Spencer Stone, Oregon Army National Guard Specialist 
Aleksander Skarlatos, California State University Sacramento student 
Anthony Sadler, French-American Mark Moogalian, Frenchman Damien A., 
and Chris Norman, a British citizen.
  I would particularly like to recognize U.S. Air Force Airman First 
Class Spencer Stone, Oregon Army National Guard Specialist Aleksander 
Skarlatos, and California State University Sacramento student Anthony 
Sadler, three childhood friends who grew up in California, and thank 
them for their fearlessness, commitment to one another, and swift 
action that saved countless lives.
  That day, aboard the train carrying more than 500 passengers, a 
gunman armed himself with a Kalashnikov rifle, a pistol, a box cutter, 
hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a container of gasoline, seeking 
to exact serious harm on innocent passengers.
  In response to this threat, U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Spencer 
Stone, Oregon Army National Guard Specialist Aleksander Skarlatos, 
college student Anthony Sadler, Mark Moogalian, Chris Norman, and 
Damien A. took action to protect other passengers.
  They subdued the gunman, risking their lives for the safety of others 
and representing the type of courage that should inspire us all.
  Initially, Damien A. and Mark Moogalian encountered the gunman and 
tried to disarm him. In the struggle, Mark Moogalian suffered a gunshot 
wound. We wish Mark Moogalian a full and speedy recovery from his 
wounds, and thank him for his courageous action.
  Upon noticing the disruption, U.S. Air Force Airman First Class 
Spencer Stone saw the gunman in the passenger car and immediately tried 
to subdue him.
  He grabbed the gunman around the neck to prevent the gunman from 
shooting his weapon. U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Spencer Stone 
suffered multiple box cutter wounds while wrestling the gunman.
  Oregon Army National Guard Specialist Aleksander Skarlatos quickly 
followed, as did Anthony Sadler and Chris Norman.
  Ultimately, the gunman was subdued, rendered unconscious, and tied up 
on the floor of the train.
  And, U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Spencer Stone, a medical 
technician himself injured by the attacker's box cutter, then treated 
Mark Moogalian's injuries and helped save his life.
  The swift, decisive, and courageous actions of these men prevented 
what could have been the deaths of dozens of passengers.
  Their heroism should be recognized as an inspiration by all 
Americans, including by this body, and I thank all of my Senate 
colleagues for cosponsoring the resolution to honor their bravery and 
heroic acts.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed 
to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or 
debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 259) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  (The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in today's Record 
under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')

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