Political Quotes

“Earlier this week I filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in the case of City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson. This is challenging a Ninth Circuit decision. It has been agreed to be heard by the Supreme Court. As a matter of fact, oral argument will be taking place next month, and we expect a decision later this year. Several of my colleagues here in the House who serve and represent districts in California and on the West Coast have joined me and signed onto the amicus brief. Madam Speaker, we are urging the Supreme Court to overturn a line of Ninth Circuit cases that started what is known as the Boise decision and that has contributed to the explosion of homelessness and crime in California. California's homelessness situation has continued to get worst and worst, even as homelessness has gone down in many other parts of the country. As a matter of fact, right now, about half of the unsheltered homeless in the United States, in the entire country, are in California. The Boise decision is one reason why. What this decision and its progeny have done is handcuffed cities and counties and municipalities from being able to enforce camping bands or otherwise clear out homeless encampments in public spaces. This has made it extremely difficult for cities that even want to take a smart and compassionate and pro-public safety approach from being able to do so for fear that they will immediately get sued.…”