Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington for yielding. Mr. Newhouse has been a leader in responding to the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women, and for that I thank him for his leadership. In late August, Kaysera Stops Pretty Places who just turned 18, was supposed to join her mother to see a relative in North Dakota. She didn't make it. She disappeared. No one could reach her. Days later, her body was found besides a woodpile in Hardin, Montana. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance and death remain a mystery. Hers is one story of far too many. This tragic epidemic must end. These are our sisters, our daughters, and our granddaughters. Their cases often do not receive the attention they deserve. Their families deserve justice. Over the past months, I have met with Montanans in each of our 56 counties, and in the eight recognized Tribal governments. I have often heard of the challenges faced to address this crisis. We must do better. When someone goes missing, time is of the essence. Improving cooperation amongst local, State, Tribal, and Federal Governments is critical. I heard over and over of the challenges in delays in performing background checks for applicants to Tribal law enforcement. In one recent visit, Tribal leadership at one reservation shared with me that only 4 of their 14 law enforcement positions were currently filled, preventing them from effectively implementing the law on the reservation.…”