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On Might 24, round 11:30 a.m., a gunman opened hearth on Robb Elementary College in Uvalde.
I used to be midway by a gathering in El Paso on the time, about 500 miles from the place this despicable crime was happening. My cellphone rang — a message alerting me that pictures had been fired on campus. I instantly referred to as the Uvalde sheriff, who confirmed the active-shooter state of affairs. With out hesitation, I jumped in my truck and made the eight-hour drive to Uvalde.
In tightknit communities, if one particular person loses a baby, it’s everybody’s loss. The air was thick with desperation as quickly as I stepped into city. Everybody in the neighborhood sought solutions. Was their youngster concerned? Who was accountable? The place will we go from right here?
Not a lot was clear within the fast aftermath, however I used to be decided to search out out.
For the subsequent a number of weeks, my workforce and I had been based mostly out of Uvalde, gathering data and exhibiting up for no matter wanted to be achieved. From visiting with the victims’ households to assembly with native officers to securing cots, meals and beds for regulation enforcement from out of city, I used to be there to serve.
The extra I discovered in regards to the neighborhood’s wants, the extra I noticed how susceptible they had been. For instance, the Uvalde emergency operations heart is situated in a World Warfare II airplane hangar. It leaks, {the electrical} wiring is defective, area is restricted, and the expertise is greater than a technology previous. Lots of of regulation enforcement officers are anticipated to mount a response from right here at any given time, but they may as nicely be understanding of a warehouse.
That’s not all. The radio system that 1000’s of first responders use is outdated. Not solely do regulation enforcement businesses have hassle working on the identical radio community, however they’re confronted with a number of useless spots the place service is nonexistent.
Essentially the most regarding want in Uvalde is the shortage of psychological well being assets. The closest inpatient facility within the space is greater than two hours away. Counselors are scarce.
It is a troubling actuality. Communities throughout America are severely underserved with regards to psychological well being. That statistic is even worse in Texas, which ranked final in entry to care in a 2022 report by Psychological Well being America. The Uvalde shooter demonstrated clear indicators of psychological sickness that had been acknowledged by neighborhood members however by no means reported or handled.
Moreover, as reviews of the incident started to floor, it grew to become clear that college safety was a difficulty at Robb Elementary, like many different campuses throughout the nation. For instance, the gunman accessed the college by an open again door that ought to have been locked.
I’m a father of six children, and this horrible occasion hit near residence. Because the congressman who represents Uvalde, I’ve been centered on delivering actual change.
For starters, my workforce has labored laborious to assist determine and advocate for federal grants that profit Uvalde. Eleven days after the tragedy, my workforce helped Uvalde CISD safe $1.5 million in grant funding for psychological well being companies and college safety. I’ve additionally helped safe $2 million for a psychiatric facility in Uvalde and greater than $5 million for a brand new radio expertise system by my place on the Home Appropriations Committee. I requested President Joe Biden, when he got here to Uvalde, for a brand new emergency operations heart within the space.
Whereas I used to be in Uvalde, I used to be working with my workforce in D.C. on laws that will assist forestall a tragedy like this from occurring once more in one among our communities. Lower than a month after the tragedy, I launched the Endeavor Wanted Investments in Remedy, Training and De-escalation, or UNITED, Act. This laws contains urgently wanted funding to broaden psychological well being companies, enhance disaster response and promote telehealth entry for Texans.
Shortly after, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, launched by Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, got here to the Home ground for a vote. This laws supplied the change we wanted by offering psychological well being and college security provisions that by no means create new restrictions on law-abiding gun house owners. Regardless of pushback from my Republican colleagues, I knew I needed to vote for this laws as my accountability to my constituents and the key discrepancies I noticed on the bottom. That very same week, this laws was signed into regulation.
My subsequent precedence was to ensure these {dollars} are coming again to my district as quickly as doable.
You probably have ever handled the federal authorities, then you understand nothing is simple. That’s why I’ve an individual on my employees solely devoted to serving to constituents apply for federal grants. And that’s simply what we did.
The second I acquired again to the Texas Congressional District 23, I frolicked assembly with college superintendents — 21 to be actual — to lift consciousness for the assorted grants that will be rolling out shortly. To double down, after we helped colleges with the applying course of, I’d comply with up with a private letter of help to the respective company from which they had been searching for cash.
Because of this, just lately, the Division of Justice awarded $1.2 million in funding for the College Violence Prevention Packages to Uvalde CISD, Tornillo ISD, San Antonio ISD and Rocksprings ISD. These grants will assist institute security measures in and round colleges, present coaching to high school personnel and college students, implement evidence-based menace assessments, and fund analysis and analysis on the causes and penalties of college violence.
Whereas I’m proud to have delivered for my district, that is only the start. This tragedy has proven us what we will ship if we work collectively as Individuals, not Democrats or Republicans. From welcoming President Biden in Uvalde to bipartisan laws, we labored throughout the aisle for the protection of our kids. This allowed us to not solely start the restoration course of in Uvalde however set a precedent for cities throughout the nation.
Congress ought to be a bottom-up, not top-down, strategy. Within the aftermath of Uvalde, the Uvalde County choose knowledgeable me that their emergency response system was virtually nonexistent, inflicting me to implement an answer to that downside. Going ahead, legislators ought to put their very own election apart and discuss immediately with constituents to ship options.
If we will try this, we will make Congress a extra environment friendly establishment for all Individuals. That’s why I’ll proceed to spend numerous hours speaking with lecturers, college students, dad and mom and neighborhood leaders till each mum or dad in my district feels protected sending their youngster to high school.
Tony Gonzales, a Republican, represents Congressional District 23, which incorporates Uvalde.
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