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Unidentified speaker asks for prayers after West Virginia National Guard tragedy
Summary
An unidentified speaker on the legislative floor appealed for prayers and remembrance after a reported attack that left 'Sarah' dead and 'Andrew' critically injured, praised the National Guard, recounted past flood search efforts and criticized congressional dysfunction while urging action on rising local crime.
An unidentified speaker on the legislative floor asked colleagues and the public to pray for two West Virginia National Guard members after a recent tragedy that left one, "Sarah," dead and another, "Andrew," clinging to life. The speaker described the families and the state as "really hurting" and urged that their names not be "glossed over."
The speaker framed the comments as a call to national attention and local action. "We've lost Sarah, haven't we? And Andrew is just clinging for his life," the speaker said, adding that the deaths and injuries demand more than words: "How many body bags do we have to have in our cities to do something?"
The speaker connected the victims' service to broader praise for the West Virginia National Guard, saying they had worked closely with Guard leadership during an eight-year term as governor and calling Guard members "phenomenal beyond all possible comparison." The remarks invoked specific names from the transcript — "General Hoyer" and "General Crane" — in describing the Guard's role.
As a personal example of prolonged community loss, the speaker recalled the 2016 floods and a six-week search that located 14-year-old Mikaela Phillips five miles downstream, and said search teams found three bodies on local golf courses. The anecdote was offered to underline the toll of disasters and the depth of local grieving.
Turning to local public-safety concerns, the speaker said the town of Beckley "has turned, in many ways, not a great place from the standpoint of crime," and rhetorically asked who would decline outside help, saying there are "three Canadian mounted police that can come to Beckley" and could make a difference. The speaker urged immediate action to restore local safety and warned that residents may need to add locks to their homes.
The speech included critique of Congress, which the speaker described as "dysfunctional" and engaged in a recurring "food fight," citing frequent close votes. The speaker urged members to respect differing views and to focus on solutions rather than partisanship.
The speaker closed by repeating the names of the victims, asking the chamber and the public to remember them, and again requesting prayers for the families, the National Guard and the nation. The remarks ended with the words, "Mister president, I yield."
