House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi took to the House floor following the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise and four others during a GOP team baseball practice this morning. During her remarks she made a point of thanking the security guards — Crystal Griner and David Bailey — who were on the scene to protect the House Majority Whip and engaged the shooter before he could do even more damage.
So our hopes and prayers – and I said to the Speaker, ‘I’ll be asking you every five minutes, how is Steve coming along?’ And also for Zack Barth, in Congressman Roger Williams’ office, and Matt Mika, who was a former staffer, and of course, as the Speaker acknowledged, Krystal (sic) Griner and David Bailey.
In acknowledging their sacrifice and how fortunate we were that they were on the scene because their lives would have probably been lost.
I want us to remember that every single day the Capitol Police protects all of us, takes risk for us and while a day like this is a time where we can focus on it so sadly, it doesn’t mean that other days aren’t as challenging.
The two officers returned fire when unhinged Bernie-bot James Hodgkinson opened fire on the unarmed Republican congresspeople and staffers. Griner was reportedly wounded and Bailey was injured while fighting him off. Had they not been present, Hodgkinson would likely have murdered many of those on the field this morning.
It’s heartening to see the former Speaker, until now a staunch opponent of the individual right to keep and bear arms, acknowledge the inherent truth behind NRA EVP Wayne LaPierre’s comments following the Sandy Hook massacre. It turns out that it truly does take a good guy with a gun (or, as it did this morning, two of them) to stop a bad guy with a gun.
Wayne’s comments weren’t really greeted with universal approval at the time. We feel sure that LaPierre must be thrilled to have such a prominent Democrat as Pelosi finally see the light and come over to his side of the gun debate. After all, given that we’re losing 93 million per day to gun violence, something clearly must be done.