Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 923) a resolution honoring the service and sacrifice of United States Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and United States…
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 923) a resolution honoring the service and sacrifice of United States Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and United States Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, who were tragically shot in Washington, D.C., in a targeted assault against United States servicemembers on November 26, 2025, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, United States Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and United States Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe were tragically shot just before the Thanksgiving holiday here in Washington, D.C.
As members of the West Virginia National Guard on duty in the Nation's Capital, Specialist Beckstrom and Staff Sergeant Wolfe were targeted and violently assaulted with a barrage of gunfire for doing nothing less than performing their duty as a soldier and an airman. Both of them sustained severe gunshot wounds during the attack.
Sadly, Specialist Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries and passed away, surrounded by loved ones, on Thanksgiving Day, while Staff Sergeant Wolfe remains in recovery. We wish him speedy success in that effort to be back on his feet.
These two young guardsmen represent the best of what our Nation has to offer, making this horrific attack a truly devastating loss not just for those who knew them, served with them, and loved them, but it is, indeed, a tragic event for our entire Nation.
Specialist Beckstrom was 20 years old at the time of her passing. An excellent student and dedicated guardsman, she graduated with honors from Webster County High School in West Virginia. Weeks later, on June 6, she joined the West Virginia National Guard. Sarah embodied selfless service.
In Sarah's civilian job, she worked as a community engagement specialist at a certified community behavioral health clinic that provides mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment to those in need. She recently volunteered to extend her deployment here in Washington, D.C.
Sarah was admired by all who knew her. She served admirably and with distinction, and I would argue she is admired even by those who didn't know her for her selfless sacrifice on behalf of her colleagues in West Virginia, but also on behalf of grateful citizens across our Nation.
We honor her dedication, honor her service, and express our deepest condolences to her loved ones.
Sarah will indeed be missed, but her legacy will live on. Her selfless sacrifice will live on in the hearts and minds of her fellow citizens in West Virginia, but also those of us across the Nation.
Staff Sergeant Wolfe enlisted in the West Virginia National Guard before he even finished high school. At 24 years old, he voluntarily requested to continue his mission here in Washington, D.C., through the holidays.
A dedicated airman, Andrew is also an asset to his community, his State, and our Nation. As a lineman with Frontier Communications, Andrew brought connectivity and communications to many communities across West Virginia, in many areas that needed it the most.
Andrew was dedicated to making sure that people had that connectivity and had that connection to the internet that they needed just for the basic elements of life, but also for educational opportunities.
Like Sarah, Andrew proved himself to be a selfless warrior, serving with distinction and earning the admiration of all who knew him.
We join with his friends and family in praying for his full recovery, and we hope his journey to healing is swift and painless.
I would be remiss if I did not thank the first responders, law enforcement, and National Guardsmen and -women who acted quickly to subdue the threat and provide first aid. They acted with courage and bravery while under fire to protect the people of Washington, D.C.
Mr. Speaker, this is what makes our Nation great, folks who are willing to serve our Nation, like Sarah and Andrew, who are willing to don the cloth of this Nation, willing to provide that selfless sacrifice, willing to put their lives on the line each and every day for what we all believe in, that great Constitution of our United States of America.
Today, we honor and recognize their selfless service and understand what it takes in those dangerous situations to truly guard this beacon of freedom and liberty here in our great United States of America.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Miller).
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Moore).
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from West Virginia for his heartfelt comments, as well as Mrs. Miller.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, as we have heard from Mr. Carter, from Mrs. Miller, and from Mr. Moore, Sarah and Andrew, known at home as Andy, are really two individuals who we should all model
ourselves after--that selfless service and what they did not just at home in their communities but for what they did for the State of West Virginia and what they did for our Nation.
They are the examples of what makes this Nation great--individuals willing to put their lives on the line for something bigger than themselves, for that foundation of what we all believe in, in this Nation: what our Constitution guarantees, those freedoms and liberties that make the United States the greatest Nation the world has ever known.
Mr. Speaker, we are blessed to live in a nation that has individuals like Sarah and Andy who are willing to put their lives on the line for those principles. Our Nation was a nation founded on an idea--an idea that all are created equal and that we have those inalienable rights given to us by our creator, and folks are willing to sacrifice everything in order to preserve those basic liberties and freedoms. This is just incredible.
When we gather together today to remember the selfless sacrifices of Sarah and Andy, it should make us all come together in the sense of what makes this Nation great. It should make us all never forget how thankful we are for those who serve our Nation in uniform, and not just those who serve in the military but those who came to Sarah and Andy's call when they were injured, those first responders and those law enforcement individuals. We are blessed to have a nation of people willing to give of themselves for the greater purpose. That is, again, what makes this Nation great.
As we know, Sarah and Andy were two of those great group of people who I referred to. Unfortunately, in some sense, there are not as many people who are interested in serving today, although we have recently seen a resurgence in that, which is great--people willing to do something that is greater than just themselves. We see before us that selfless sacrifice which reminds us again of what makes this Nation great, and we must never forget those sacrifices.
For the sacrifice of Sarah and Andy, who were viciously gunned down just blocks away from the White House, we will never forget their service to our Nation.
Mr. Speaker, instead of remembering them as victims of a hate crime, we must remember, again, their selfless service and sacrifice, their bravery, and their courage. That should make us all admire them as individuals and admire those who are willing to make that ultimate sacrifice.
We grieve with Sarah's friends and family. We pray that their grief begins to subside and that they can remember Sarah for the incredible legacy that she has left behind and for all the good that she has done here on Earth.
We stand with Andy and his friends and family in support of his recovery. It is great to hear from Mr. Moore that he is back home and back on that steady path to recovery. This is all great news.
We thank both of them for their selfless sacrifice to our Nation. We thank the citizens of West Virginia for what they do in providing that National Guard presence. We also thank our Nation that puts together these great men and women to serve a greater cause.
Mr. Speaker, again, I wish our Nation the best in the years to come. I wish all of those who selflessly serve our Nation nothing but God's continued blessings.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
