Expressing Condolences to the Families, Friends, and Loved Ones of the Victims of the Crash of American Eagle Flight 5342 and Pat 25
Floor Speech
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Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 153) expressing condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims of the crash of American Eagle Flight 5342 and PAT 25, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows: H. Res. 153
Whereas the people of Wichita, Kansas, and the people of the National Capital Region have experienced a terrible tragedy with the loss of 67 lives in the crash of American Eagle Flight 5342 and U.S. Army flight callsign ``PAT 25'' near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside of Washington, District of Columbia, on January 29, 2025;
Whereas many of the victims of the crash were residents of, or connected to, Wichita, Kansas, colloquially known as the ``Air Capital of the World'' for the city's historic role in aviation; and
Whereas many Federal, State, and local officials have cooperated to respond to the emergency, investigate the accident, and provide assistance to families devastated by the loss of loved ones: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims of the crash of American Eagle Flight 5342 and PAT 25;
(2) honors those who lost their lives, including Franco Aparicio, Luciano Aparicio, Sarah Lee Best, Brielle Beyer, Justyna Beyer, Jonathan D. Boyd, Jonathan Jay Campos, James ``Tommy'' Thomas Clagett Jr., Chris Collins, Casey Laurance Crafton, Pete "PJ" Diaz, Kiah Duggins, Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Loyd Eaves, Danasia Brown Elder, James ``Brian'' Ellis, Ian Douglas Epstein, Lindsey Denae Fields, Jinna Han, Jin Han, Cory Haynos, Stephanie Haynos, Roger Haynos, Alexander ``Alex'' Gordon Huffman, Asra Hussain-Raza, Steve Johnson, Julia Kay, Sean Kay, Elizabeth Anne Keys, Alexandr ``Sasha'' Kirsanov, Spencer Lane, Christine Conrad Lane, Samuel ``Sam'' Walter Lilley, Alydia Steele Livingston, Everly Pearl Livingston, Donna Livingston, Peter Livingston, Captain Rebecca M. Lobach, Pergentino Noble Malabed Jr., Grace Maxwell, Charles Douglas McDaniel, Dustin Michael Miller, Melissa Jane Nicandri, Staff Sergeant Ryan Austin O'Hara, Vikesh Patel, Jesse Jameson Pitcher, Robert ``Rob'' Alan Prewitt, Lori Ann Girard Schrock, Robert ``Bob'' Ryan Schrock, Wendy Jo Shaffer, Evgenia Shishkova, Vadim Naumov, Michael ``Mikey'' Bret Stovall, Olesya Taylor, Olivia Ter, Inna Volyanskaya, Angela Yang, Zheheng ``Lily'' Li, Edward Zhou, Yu Zhou, Kaiyan Mao, and 7 others.
(3) expresses sympathies to the people of Wichita, the entire state of Kansas, the National Capital Region, the Nation, and the multiple countries who grieve for the victims; and
(4) commends the heroic actions of the first responders, emergency services personnel, and all those who aided in the recovery efforts in freezing waters.
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Mr. MANN. Res. 153.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 153, which expresses condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims of the crash of American Flight 5342 and PAT 25.
This is a bipartisan resolution to honor the 67 lives that were lost during the tragic collision that occurred over the Potomac River on January 29, 2025.
January 29 is typically a day of celebration in Kansas. From Manhattan to Goodland, Topeka to Liberal, Kansas City to Dodge City, Kansans come together to celebrate the rich history of Kansas and the anniversary of our statehood.
January 29, 2025, changed the meaning of this day for Kansas and for the country forever. The world lost 67 bright, innocent lives that day, and I speak for all Americans when I say that this is a day that we will never ever forget.
When we celebrate Kansas Day in years to come, we will also feel the nudging of the somber emotions aroused by this tragic accident. We will remember our fellow Americans whose lives were tragically lost: farmers, parents, professors, college students with bright futures taken from us far too soon.
For more than a century, the United States has led the world in aviation safety and innovation. Wichita has been known as the Air Capital of the World for more than a century due to our historic ties to aviation history. Although tragic accidents like these are rare, none of us are strangers to the hazards involved in man's pursuit of flight.
We must continue to strive to learn as much as we can about this accident so that it never ever happens again.
H. Res. 153 also lauds the heroism displayed by the many local, State, and Federal officials who sprang into action to perform recovery efforts. These men and women are heroes who demonstrated tremendous respect for the fallen, working in cold temperatures and icy waters for several days.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation and reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, there is still a lot to uncover about this accident, and we are confident that the NTSB is reviewing the evidence so that we can learn from this accident to prevent future loss of life.
As we express our deepest condolences and prayers, we join our beloved Kansas and Nation in mourning the lives lost. Psalms 34:18 reminds us: ``The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.''
We lift up the loved ones of the 67 lost souls and rest in the knowledge that no matter the circumstances we are facing, God is always with us.
Kansas is the heartbeat of the country, and our State motto reminds us that we will persevere together through this difficult time.
Mr. Speaker, by adopting this measure, we honor the memory of these victims and ensure that they will never be forgotten. I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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