Political Quotes

“The COVID pandemic has changed almost every aspect of American life. While it may be difficult to measure at this stage, we know the impact on medical health of Americans across the country is significant and it is alarming. In the age of technology and instant gratification, more and more people were already feeling less connected. But once the pandemic struck, the negative effects of isolation and uncertainty were only compounded into a sense of hopelessness nationwide. If you don't have hope, you have very little reason to follow a moral code or fear the results of your actions. Hopelessness and desperation can be a dangerous trigger and it can lead to acts of violence. Unfortunately, victims of violence are often caught in a vicious cycle of violence, as one of the main risk factors for violent injury is a previous violent injury. My colleague, Congressman Ruppersberger, and I introduced legislation to try and put a stop to this horrific cycle of violence, the Bipartisan Solution to Cyclical Violence Act. Our legislation establishes a grant program at the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to existing and aspiring violence intervention programs. These programs intervene while a victim is still in the hospital recovering from their injuries, and provide a wide range of services like counseling, substance abuse treatment, job training, or even assistance finding affordable housing.…”