Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5963, the Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act. This bill, sponsored by Mr. Curbelo, allows at-risk young adults to get back on track by offering them a vast range of opportunities and reducing the barriers that hold these young adults back from success-- from graduating high school to preparing for lifelong achievements in the workplace. Last fall, in an Education and the Workforce Committee hearing, a witness told his compelling story about his own second chance through a system that allowed him to get out of the path he was on and to chart a new one. Currently, there are 2 million children in the juvenile justice system, a statistic that is much too high. Many of these children need a second chance to succeed, like the witness I heard in the Education and the Workforce Committee. Before my time in the United States Congress, I had experience with this same issue in the Georgia State legislature where I worked to help pass H.B. 242. In Georgia, that bill ensured that juveniles with status offenses weren't susceptible to the influence of more serious offenders, which could create an opportunity for them to commit more serious crimes later in their life. Georgia's success with H.B. 242 is a prime example of why we need H.R. 5963 at the Federal level. It saves money for taxpayers, reduces the strain on the justice system, and gives at-risk young adults a chance for a future.…”