Congresswoman Lee said, “We’re dealing with babies in body bags and kids traumatized from constant drills and lockdowns because Republicans care more about their donors than children in schools or worshipers in churches and synagogues and shoppers in a Walmart. 

“Republicans want to control what books you read, they want to control what history you learn, They want to control how you identify, who you can love, our bodies. They want to control everything except that which could prevent mass preventable deaths of children and students and worshippers and shoppers in the only country on earth that is a problem. 

“You think the protests we’re seeing in Nashville would be enough to convince them to stop putting politics over our children’s lives, but that’s not happening because these politicians don’t bite the hand that feeds them. No matter how many children are gunned down, they’re going to protect the donors who funnel money into their campaigns when they go vote on the House floor. That’s why I always talk about campaign finance reform. It’s why we talk about how much money is flooding into our politics.”

Last week, Lee spoke on the House floor hours after calls about an active shooter at six Pittsburgh area high schools and a total of a dozen high schools across Pennsylvania caused widespread lockdowns and evacuations. These swatting calls also occurred around the same time in Utah, Southern California and Kansas. In the course of the incidences, students and teachers barricaded used furniture to barricade themselves in classrooms, weren’t allowed to make a noise – even through tears – and were advised to fight back with chemicals and metal rods found in the classroom. The FBI is working to find out who was responsible for the false reports. But thousands of students, teachers, parents across the Commonwealth are deeply traumatized by this nightmare scenario less than 72 hours after a mass shooting in Nashville stole three children and three adults’ lives.

Click here to watch Congresswoman Lee’s full remarks.  

Congresswoman Lee is a proud cosponsor of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2023, introduced in February of this Congress.

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