Lateefah Simon: “I rise today to oppose the administration's cuts to critical gun violence prevention programs, and I rise today in deep…”

“I rise today to oppose the administration's cuts to critical gun violence prevention programs, and I rise today in deep solidarity with the innovators of CeaseFire, violence interrupters, and community organizations around this country that spend every day, hour after hour, working on the ground and in our communities to stop gun violence. I thank them for their work. It is so critical and needed at a time when the Trump administration has announced cuts of $500 million to community violence intervention organizations and funding opportunities directly from the Department of Justice and over $1 billion in gun violence prevention funding for schools from the Department of Education. Make it make sense. Now, organizations like Youth Alive in Oakland, California, will not have the funding that they need that is so critical in this moment to do the work of violence interruption on our streets in conjunction with law enforcement and community members who have lost loved ones to violence. June is Gun Violence Prevention Month, Mr. Speaker, and we cannot stop this work in decreasing gun violence on our streets and in our communities.”