WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 14, 2018) – Last night, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) was honored by Sandy Hook Promise with the 2018 Promise Champions Award for her work in Congress to reduce gun violence and keep schools safe, including helping lead on the passage of the STOP School Violence Act which was signed into law earlier this year. Cathy was presented the award and provided remarks during the 4th Annual Sandy Hook Promise Gala.

During her speech, Cathy said, “I start every morning by helping my husband get our kids off to school. Some mornings are pretty hectic and more than once, I’ve had the thought and paused about the possibility that it could be the last time that I see our kids. It shouldn’t be this way. School should be a place of learning where our children make friends, find their talents, and reach their full potential. We must have courageous conversations about what programs and solutions are going to work to keep them safe.”

She continued, “In these moments, we need to take that collective step back and just ask, ‘Why?’ That’s exactly what I did in my own community after the school shooting at Freeman, and after we tragically lost too many young people to suicide. We’ve come together as students, school superintendents, principals, and law enforcement officers — and asked the questions, ‘Why?’ ‘What’s causing our young people to feel so lost or alone?’ And worse, what’s causing them to choose violence?’ These questions don’t have easy answers– but as we keep having courageous conversations with one another, I’m hopeful that we’ll continue to have more ideas like Sheriff Rutherford’s STOP School Violence Act that is now law–ideas that will help our local communities prevent, recognize, and respond to violence.”

NOTE: In March, Cathy helped get both the STOP School Violence Act and the Fix NICS Act signed into law to provide more resources for schools and law enforcement to keep schools safe and fix the federal background check system to ensure people who shouldn’t have guns aren’t falling through the cracks.

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