Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas sought Wednesday to push through a plan to direct billions of federal dollars toward more police officers and mental health counselors in the nation’s schools but was blocked by Democrats who criticized his move as grandstanding rather than a serious effort.
Cruz rose on the Senate floor mid-afternoon and described a prayer vigil he attended in Uvalde after the Robb Elementary School shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
Grief-stricken residents wept openly as they mourned their losses, he recalled, adding that he has visited other Texas communities rocked by mass shootings over the years.
He alluded to a common pattern of alienated young men descending into mental illness over time before ultimately committing unspeakable crimes.
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“If we had additional mental health resources on campuses, they would be in a position to spot the warning signs, to see the young man heading down that dangerous path and to intervene and stop them,” Cruz said.
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