Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce a bill to facilitate better access to the Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center. The Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center, located in Hemet, CA, is a health center run by the Indian Health Service. It is the only currently operating center in the State of California that provides culturally-sensitive substance use disorder treatment to indigenous youth. The Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center serves an important role to the regional Native American community. The facility not only provides healthcare but also academic support, family therapy, and an individualized treatment plan to support the healing and long-term recovery of youth enrolled at the center. Despite the center's important work, the Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center is only accessible by a dirt road. Lack of a paved road limits access to the center during California's extreme wet and dry seasons. The dirt road frequently cracks or floods during these times and creates significant challenges to those receiving healthcare. Private landowners are supportive of selling their land to allow the Indian Health Service to pave an access road, but the agency does not currently have the authority to do so. It is appropriate we provide for safe and dignified access to the center, and I am pleased to introduce legislation that will solve this problem.…”