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Today, ahead of the one-year mark of the deadliest targeted attack against Latinos in modern American history, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) delivered remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives unveiling legislation to commemorate the August 3rd shooting in El Paso and designate the El Paso Community Healing Garden as a federally recognized National Memorial. This legislation is endorsed by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund and UnidosUS. 

Click here to watch a video of her remarks and below are Congresswoman Escobar’s remarks as prepared:

Monday, August 3 marks one year since El Paso, Texas became the target of a killer who confessed to driving over 600 miles in order to stop what he called “the Hispanic invasion” with his AK-47.

In a horrific act of domestic terrorism, he killed 23 people, injured 22, and devastated all of us. 

This wasn’t only another tragic outcome of America’s gun violence epidemic, but also a result of America’s hate epidemic, fueled by racism and xenophobia as well as rhetoric coming from the most powerful leaders in our land. 

One year later, we still don’t have laws that make us safer from gun violence and we still face a reckoning on hate. My community continues to confront hate with love, and to honor the victims and survivors. 

In that spirit, it is my privilege today to introduce legislation that honors the victims of the August 3rd, 2019 attack, and designates the El Paso Community Healing Garden as a national memorial. 

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