--- title: Steve Scalise: Read Paul Ryan's Call for Congressional Unity description: After House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and others were shot in Virginia, House Speaker Paul Ryan gave an impassioned plea for unity canonical: https://time.com/4818371/paul-ryan-steve-scalise-shooting-congress-speech-transcript/ author: Jennifer Calfas article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-06-14T18:10:56.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:07:28.423Z article:section: Politics og:title: 'We Are One House.' Read Paul Ryan's Call for Unity After Virginia Shooting og:description: "An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us" og:url: https://time.com/4818371/paul-ryan-steve-scalise-shooting-congress-speech-transcript/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt56ce0e26bac32066/6988d1afe76ad235d762de63/paul-ryan2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1292 og:image:height: 727 og:image:alt: Congressman Shot og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'We Are One House.' Read Paul Ryan's Call for Unity After Virginia Shooting twitter:description: "An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt56ce0e26bac32066/6988d1afe76ad235d762de63/paul-ryan2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'We Are One Family.' 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=413e7d63-d34c-46fc-b409-18fe3d842460&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: "United in Our Anguish": Politicians React to Virginia Shooting [Watch (HLS stream): "United in Our Anguish": Politicians React to Virginia Shooting](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ODq41W75.m3u8) (2:49)  _Published 2017-06-14. A top Republican leader in Congress and others were shot early Wednesday morning in Virginia authorities and witnesses said._ by [Jennifer Calfas](https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas Jun 14, 2017 6:10 PM UTC A top Republican leader in Congress and others were shot early Wednesday morning in Virginia authorities and witnesses said. by [Jennifer Calfas](https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas Jun 14, 2017 6:10 PM UTC [House Speaker Paul Ryan](http://time.com/4818115/steve-scalise-shot-donald-trump-watch-online/) delivered an emotional speech to his congressional colleagues Wednesday — hours after a top Republican [was shot](http://time.com/4817777/alexandria-shooting-steve-scalise/?xid=homepage) during a practice for an annual bipartisan charity baseball game. Speaking on the House floor, Ryan called for unity among Congress members and thanked Capitol police officers for their quick response. “We are united in our shock. We are united in our anguish,” Ryan said. “An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.” House Majority Whip [Steve Scalise](http://time.com/4817928/steve-scalise-congressional-baseball-game-biography/) was shot in the hip while Republican members of Congress and members of their staff practiced at a Virginia baseball field early in the morning. Five victims, including two Capitol Police officers, [were taken](http://time.com/4817818/steve-scalise-alexandria-shooting/?xid=homepage) to the hospital, police said. President Donald Trump said the suspected shooter, identified as [James Hodgkinson](http://time.com/4818165/steve-scalise-shooting-suspect-james-hodgkinson/), of Illinois, died from his injuries. Ryan received a standing ovation from lawmakers from both parties in the House chamber. “Every day, we come here to test and challenge each other,” he said. “We feel so deeply about the things we fight for and believe in. At times, our emotions can get the best of us. We are all imperfect. But we do not shed our humanity when we enter this chamber.” [House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi](http://time.com/4812578/nancy-pelosi-donald-trump-needs-sleep/) also delivered a speech, where she said Republicans and Democrats will still come together for their annual baseball game Thursday, and called the shooter’s actions “cowardly.” “We cannot let that be a victory for the assailant or anyone who would think that way,” Pelosi said. “So tomorrow we’ll go out on the field, we’ll root for our team, we want everyone to do his or her very best, and we will use this occasion as one that brings us together and not separates us further.” Read Ryan’s full speech from the House floor in the text below: --- > “” --- ## Transcript [00:00] A gunman opened fire when members of congress [00:05] and their staffs, as they were practicing for tomorrow's [00:09] annual charity baseball game. We may have our [00:13] differences, but we do well in times like [00:17] these to remember that everyone who serves In [00:21] our nation's capital is here because, above all, [00:26] they love our country. Madam President, I have just [00:31] been informed that the alleged shooter at the [00:34] Republican baseball practice this morning Is [00:38] someone who apparently volunteered on my [00:41] presidential campaign. I am sickened [00:45] by this despicable act. And let me be as [00:49] clear as I can be. Violence of [00:54] any kind is unacceptable in our society. And [00:58] I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms. [01:03] We are united, we are united in our shock, [01:08] we are united in our anguish, in attack, and one of [01:13] us is in attack on all of us. I [01:18] ask each of you, To join me to resolve, [01:23] to come together, to lift each other up, and to show the [01:26] country, to show the world, that we are one House. [01:30] The people's House. United in our humanity, it is [01:34] that humanity which will win the day and it always will. [01:39] God bless, I yield. Again, we are not one caucus or the [01:43] other in this house today. But we speak for each other [01:47] in saying, we send our thoughts and prayers to [01:51] our colleague Steve Skelise. This morning is the most [01:54] sobering reminder for how thankful we should be for [01:57] the service of the capital police force. Who put their [02:00] lives on the line day- in day- out for us to be safe. I [02:04] cannot be more grateful that Capitol Police were there [02:08] at a time to prevent this attack from being any worse [02:10] than it was. I was with Senator Paul in the gym who had [02:14] been there, and he told me had. These [02:18] two Capitol Police officers, who were part of [02:22] Congressman Scalise's detail not been there, it might [02:24] have been a massacre. We're deeply indebted for their [02:26] service. We again salute their continuing and unfailing [02:31] bravery on behalf of the Capitol community. A [02:36] Congressional baseball game is a bi- partisan charity [02:39] event. I know the Senate will embrace that spirit today [02:43] as we come together and express in both our concern [02:46] and our gratitude. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4818371/paul-ryan-steve-scalise-shooting-congress-speech-transcript/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4818371/paul-ryan-steve-scalise-shooting-congress-speech-transcript/"},"headline":"'We Are One Family.' 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