Five employees of this community newspaper. The Capital Gazette is the local paper of record in annapolis. It is one of the oldest tcontinuously published in newspapers in the United States. It traces its roots to the maryland gazette which began publishing in 1727 and the capital which was founded in 1884. Two years later the senseless loss of life remains so personal to so many people in annapolis and around the state. You need to understand that the Capital Gazette is as much a part of the fabric of annapolis as a State Government that it covers better than anyone in the business. Today it still carries out the Mission Better than anyone else with an added priority of covering nonviolence that continues to plague this countrt and efforts to reduce gun violence as it increase public safety. As i did two years ago i want to take a moment to mourn those we lost and to thank the First Responders who appeared from the scene literally 60 seconds after the 911 call. On this day two years ago the Police Officers happen to be down the street from the Capital Gazette office and when the shooting started. Their location and Fast Response most definitely saved lives. According to the police chief within two minutes the Police Department and the annapolis Police Department and the Sheriffs Office rushed into the office and into the newsroom and apprehended the gunman. The state and federal lawenforcement personnel from the federal bureau of investigation and the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives and many other agencies quickly arrived to support local officials in their efforts to clear the building and meticulously investigate the scene. I want to think again the chief and every one of those lawenforcement officers who did their job and contributed to the emergency response. I want to acknowledge again the victims. Gerald fishman, 61 was an editor for 25 years of service with a Capital Gazette well known at the newspaper and throughout the community for his brilliant mind and writing. Most often he was insightful and it came through when the editorial pages at the Capital Gazette. Rick hutsell the editor describes fishman as someone whose light was committed to protecting our community by telling hard truths. Rob hyson, 59, columnist, editor, teacher and storyteller that brought compassion and humor to his Community Focus reporting. Rob was the coach and mentor to many and according to the former son he was so happy working witn young journalists he wanted to create a newsroom where everyone was growing. John mcnamara, age 56 was a skilled writer and avid sports fan who combined these passions in his 24 year career as a Sports Reporter at the Capital Gazette. Former Capital GazetteSports EditorLarry Jackson on memory and him said he could write and he could edit and he could sign pages and he was a jack of all trades and a fantastic person. Rebecca smith, age 34 was a newly hired Sales Assistants known for her kindness, compassion and love for her family. A friend of her described rebecca as the absolute most beautiful person with the biggest hearts and called her death a great loss to this world. Wendy winters, aged 65, talented writer who a built her career aa Public Relations professional and journalist and wellknown for her profound reporting on the rise achievements of people within the community and was a Proud Navy Mom and baby daughter. Wendy saved lives during the attack. She confronted and distracted the gunmanro throwing whatever e could find around her at him. As a newspaper noted wendy died protecting her friends but also in defense of her newsroom from a murderous assault. Wendy died protecting freedom of the press. A heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to the families of these five wonderful people and the surviving Staff Members also deserved our continued prayers with praise with the resilience ands dedication to their mission as journalists. During and after theynd reported by tweets sharing information to those outside taking photos and documenting information as they would any other crime scene. Despite their grief, shock, anger and mourning the surviving staff with the help of their sister publication the baltimore sun, Capital Gazette alum and other reporters who wanted to lend a hand to fellow journalists put out a paper the next morning as they had done every day since. The staff blanket that day after the shooting but for these few words, today we are speechless and this page is intentionally left blank to commemorate the victims of thursdays shooting at our office for the staff promised on saturday the page would return to his study purpose of offering readers and opinions about the world around them that they may be better citizens and they carry that o out. Our constitution which establishes the rule of law in this country grants of certain rights and response abilities and freedom of the press, central to the very First Amendment of the constitution has often been under attack and figure leaf speaking since our nations founding andav today those attacks have become more frequent and they are not just figurative anymore. They are physical in these attacks are spurred on by dangerous rhetoric that is media for doing its job. Asking questions that need to be asked and investigative stories that need to be investigated and bringing meeting transparency to halls of power whether in annapolis, washington dc or anywhere in this country. In 2018 after the shooting of the Capital Gazette in the United States was for the first time added to the list of the most deadly countries for journalists. In an annual report by the reporters without borders. President trumps rhetoric calling the media a stain on america and an enemy of the American People certainly has b been harmful. I have said this before a and i will keep saying it, president s language is dangerous and has gone beyond the pale and he needs to stop it. As jason wrote in the Washington Post of the Capital Gazette shooting donald trump didnt create the problem of hostility toward journalists but exploits it. He went on to say that it is true of the leaders in other countries who routinely call reporters enemies of the states, terrorist and National Saturday threats and we must be vigilant in standing up to these empty accusations. Media have grown so troublesome that the committee to protect journalists, a nonprofit, actually started a u. S. Freedom tracker to show the scope of the problem. So far in 2020 there have been 107 journalists attacked and 36 arrested. In the United States. Instead of attacking the free press, we need to be honoring it. Towards that end, ive introduced a bill, s. 1969, to establish the fallen journalists memorial here in washington, d. C. Im pleased that the national l Natural Resources committee ordered the bill to be reported favorably by voice vote. The changes the committee made reflect input from stakeholders, including the National Park service, which supports the bill. The legislation is bipartisan, noncontroversial, and did not impose any additional costs often taxpayers. The member will serve as a fitting tribute to the taxpayers and those that died in the line of duty. I hope building a no memorial to honor the fallen victims is appropriate and should be done and should be passed. The even if we have enough vaccines for everybody. I have to be vaccinated to go back to work and make sure im safe. And the pandemic also addressed questions on his nomination to be the u. S. Attorney fo attornee Southern District of new york and the chaithe chair is authore basis of the subcommittee without objection members of the full committee and on the subcommittee are authorized to participate in todays hearing. To keep their video function on at all times if they were not recognized by the chair