Díaz-Balart's Honors Parkland Victims
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, we mark the eighth anniversary of the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which claimed 17 innocent lives, including 14-year-olds Alyssa Alhadeff and Alex Schachter. We remember the victims and their families.
Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, Dean of the Florida Delegation, continues to lead efforts to strengthen school safety measures. Earlier this week, he met with Parkland families like Mr. and Mrs. Alhadeff, as well as Max Schachter, and joined as an original cosponsor of Congressman Burgess Owens’ (UT-4) Alyssa’s Act, which will establish national school safety standards, including silent panic alarms directly linked to law enforcement.
"Every February 14 since 2018 has been a somber reminder of the evil that took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 young, innocent lives were murdered, and many others were forever changed by this senseless and merciless act of violence.
The safety of our communities and schools has always been a core priority for me, and I am grateful to work alongside Parkland family survivors like Max Schacter, who lost his precious son, Alex, and has since turned unimaginable grief into action to strengthen school safety nationwide. Together, we advanced commonsense legislation like the Luke and Alex School Safety Act, which created SchoolSafety.gov that shares tools and research for schools, districts, and communities, links federal resources that schools can use, and serves educators, parents, law enforcement, and officials.
Since then, we have not stopped working for additional school safety hardening measures, including the EAGLES Act and now Alyssa’s Act, another bipartisan federal legislation establishing national school safety standards, including silent panic alarms directly linked to law enforcement. It’s imperative that we sign these bills into law to make a real and lasting difference. We must and can protect our children and our schools, and I remain committed to leading that effort," said Díaz-Balart.
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