Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1541, the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, which is the Senate companion to my bill, H.R. 2489. The bill ends the practice of phone companies charging families astronomically high rates to call incarcerated loved ones in prison. These rates are unjust and unreasonable, and I am elated that this bill will finally put an end to them. Right now, families of incarcerated people are forced to pay prohibitively expensive fees to stay connected with their loved ones through simple phone calls. It is inhumane and immoral. We all gain when incarcerated people can remain connected to their support networks, because they have a better likelihood of not returning to jail or prison. Yet, the extreme costs of making a phone call--as much as $25 for a 15-minute call--makes it nearly impossible for families to maintain connections. It is long past time that we prevent greedy companies from exorbitantly profiting off of families' need to stay connected. Martha Wright, the namesake of this bill, needlessly suffered as she tried to stay in touch with her grandson when he was incarcerated. Today, there are millions of Martha Wrights around the country who make similar sacrifices while supporting family members inside prisons and jails. One in three families go into debt just to call their loved ones. That is unconscionable, Mr. Speaker. These safeguards to protect families from exploitation already has widespread support.…”