WASHINGTON, DC – On the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Jared Moskowitz (D-Florida) delivered a passionate and moving speech to honor the 17 individuals who lost their lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018.

VIDEO OF THE FLOOR SPEECH DELIVERED BY MOSKOWITZ IS FOUND HERE.

After the shooting, a state and nation-wide effort emerged to pass gun violence prevention legislation – a push that Moskowitz led across Florida. Moskowitz championed what became the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, the most comprehensive gun violence prevention, school safety, and mental health bill ever passed in Florida. Moskowitz worked with the families of the victims and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to enact historic gun violence prevention legislation, raising the age to buy guns from 18 to 21, establishing three day waiting periods, and putting in place “red flag laws” giving law enforcement the power to take away firearms from those too dangerous to responsibly possess them. The legislation also provided millions for mental health counselors and school resource officer in every high school.

Now as a member of Congress and a Vice-Chair of the Congressional Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, Moskowitz continues his efforts to deliver on the passage of substantive gun violence prevention legislation at the Federal level. For the last year, Moskowitz has led bipartisan visitations to the school with his Congressional colleagues and the U.S. Education Secretary. The inside of the school is a time capsule from six years ago. There is still blood on the floor, bullet holes in the walls, and homework left out from children who were forced to run for their lives.