Washington, DC — “Enough is enough. Enough gun violence in our schools. Enough children hiding in fear. Enough parents with pits in their stomach when they can’t reach their kids. There were 100 calls made to 9-1-1 today. Hundreds of children stuck in their classrooms, crying out for help.

“Our young people texting their parents from behind a desk saying things like ‘Mom, if I don’t make it, I love you, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.’ Parents begging their children to ‘barricade yourselves behind doors, to hide in classrooms, and to please, hold your tears, you cannot make a sound.’

“I hear from families across America who do not have the confidence that we, Congress, will do what is needed to keep them safe. They ask me, ‘what are we waiting for?’ ‘What are we doing to protect our children?’

“We need to stand up to save American lives. We must have the courage—right now—to do what is right for the American people. It is time for us to act—it is long past time.”