Michelle Wu: “I rise in support of H.R. 1900, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 2001. The rise of crime…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 1900, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 2001. The rise of crime, particularly violent crime, among our nation's youth is a problem that affects us all. The downstream result of our action--or inaction--is tremendous. Today is all about the future. Future generations will be affected by the actions we take today, and we can choose to either address the current situation and work for tomorrow, or turn a blind eye. I believe we must work with our youth to make a brighter future. I am particularly pleased that the bill before the House today includes a provision which I wrote to help local schools detain and monitor, including a psychological evaluation, any student who brings a gun to school. Recent school tragedies, like the one that took place in my home State of Oregon, have occurred after a student was sent home after bringing a gun to school. The Wu provision in the Juvenile Justice bill will ensure that local schools can provide for immediate psychological evaluation and follow-up treatment for any juvenile that brings a gun on school grounds. By ensuring that local schools will have these students evaluated in a timely fashion, we are intervening at the right time: before another tragedy transpires. I believe this provision is in the best spirit of commonsense and prevention.”