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Active Shooter Alert Act of 2022

Floor Speech

By: Al Green
By: Al Green
Date: July 13, 2022
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Nadler and all of the hands that have made this moment possible.

Madam Speaker, I have been here in this House when we have given our thoughts and prayers to many persons who have died, many as a result of an active shooter circumstance.

Thoughts and prayers are important. My grandfather was a preacher. He talked about thoughts and prayers, but he also talked about doing God's work. Thoughts and prayers are important, but thoughts and prayers are not enough. Thoughts and prayers, unfortunately, are not saving lives when we can make the difference.

`` . . . here on earth, God's work must truly be our own.'' These are the words of John F. Kennedy. Thoughts and prayers are not enough.

There seems to be an argument today that we can give too much notice. Too much notice. We already have a system that can do this. Too much notice. Ask the loved ones of those who lost lives in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Ask those loved ones if there was too much notice.

I went there. I saw them. I saw the hurt and the pain. I saw them pleading for additional help. Thoughts and prayers are not enough.

You can't give too much notice. Too much notice? Well, this shooter in Atlanta went to three different spas over a 3-hour period. Three different spas. I do believe this is an active shooter. Killed eight people--eight people--three different spas over a 3-hour period. This is an active shooter. Didn't have too much notice.

I believe that we have a duty, responsibility, and obligation to do all that we can. When you can't do enough, you still have a responsibility to do all that we can. This is an opportunity for us to do more to save lives.

For edification purposes, since 1968--1968--more individuals in the United States have died from gun violence than in battles during all the wars the country has fought since its inception.

Since 1968, more individuals in the United States have died from gun violence than in battle during all the wars since this country's inception.

Too much is not enough. Too much notice is not enough, and we don't have enough.

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