Senator Lankford Discusses Alexandria Shooting, Prays on Senate Floor

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WASHINGTON, DC –Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today discussed the shooting at the Republican Congressional baseball practice this morning in Alexandria, VA that left several people injured including Majority Whip Steve Scalise, a congressional staffer, and two Capitol Police officers.
 
Transcript:
 
There are some days that are noisy in DC and in the nation. It seems like the disagreements and the discourse calm for just a moment and we remember that we’re all Americans and there are issues that we’re facing as a nation. Early this morning, a group of baseball players that are also Members of Congress were getting together for practice for a Congressional baseball game happening tomorrow night. It is a friendly game, great competition for charity. And a few members from both Republicans and Democrats, both the House and Senate, get together and practice and then play the game. This morning at the Republican practice, a man walked up to the field and opened fire. Just guys practicing baseball.
 
Steve Scalise, the Majority Whip was hit. Two members of his detail, Capitol Hill Police, were injured. Other individuals who were there were injured as well. Capitol Hill Police saved many lives this morning. They were prepared and they returned fire and were able to stop the person who was shooting over and over and over again at everybody that he could see on that baseball field. What’s been interesting today since it’s coming out this morning, as I’ve walked through the hallways heading back and forth to different meetings, I’ve been interested to see many doors that I walked by. Those doors that were open I could hear people inside praying. There’s been at least three organized prayer meetings here on the hill today specifically related just to that, and other spontaneously just occurring.
 
Just for a moment we get the opportunity to reflect and say to God, thank you so much for protecting the people on that field. Thank you again to the Capitol Hill Police that literally put their lives on the line to protect the guests and the members and the staff here every single day. And once again to remember that we are a nation that solves things by conversation. We disagree and that’s okay. We’ve said that for two centuries that we can disagree. We don’t solve it this way. And we cannot.
 
I would like to be able to join what’s happening all over this hill for just a moment in this room, for us to believe able to pray for a moment as well for the people that are there and for the people that are going through surgery right now and for their families. Because for every single staff member that’s here, every single member that’s here, every member of the Capitol Hill Police, their families are calling them and texting them and saying, are you okay? Because these families are scattered all over the country and they’re worried.
 
We can help lead. We can set a tone to tell the nation we should disagree on things, but we don’t ever do this. So I’d like for us to take a moment of privilege and to just be able to pray.
 
Father, thank you for the way that you have protected for those individuals that are in surgery now and are recovering now, for the Capitol Hill Police, for Steve Scalise, for other individuals that were affected today. God, we pray that you would bring them healing. We pray that you would take care of families that are worried and a nation that’s worried. I pray that you would cause something good to come out of something that is very evil. Help us to know how we respond as a nation. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
 
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