Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, a school nurse saved my life. Throughout grade school, I was a frequent flier at the nurse's office, not because anything was physically wrong with me, but because the nurse's office was a place of refuge from the destabilizing, predatory abuse that I was experiencing at the hands of people charged with my care. Instability, abuse, food insecurity, and violence are serious systemic issues that are significant barriers to learning. Trauma is a barrier to learning. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, more than 25 percent of American youth experience a serious traumatic event--such as sexual abuse, community violence, displacement--by their 16th birthday, and many children suffer multiple and repeated traumas. Health and education are inextricably linked, and it remains one of the greatest public health challenges of our time. As a Boston city councilor, I fought for equitable access to school nurses in the Boston Public Schools system, and as a Member of Congress, I plan to do the same. My amendment provides $5 million to fund high-quality healthcare for children and young people in schools and to support school-based health centers, a critical safety net for our Nation's youth. School-based health centers provide excellent, accessible, trusted healthcare and information for students. I firmly believe students who are present and healthy are best prepared and able to learn.…”