Political Quotes

“It seems like, too often, issues in this town are predetermined--Republicans care about this; Democrats care about that. There isn't any crossover, and then we are stuck in gridlock. As someone who has spent my time in Congress working to bridge the gap between left and right, I know there is more that unites us than divides us on the big issues. Today, I am proud to highlight another area of bipartisan agreement, criminal justice reform. The SAFE Justice Act is a legislative proposal to modernize and strengthen our criminal justice system for the 21st century, addressing its exploding costs to taxpayers and often disproportionate application. States across the Nation--red and blue alike--have led the way on this important issue, and they offer a blueprint for how we address corrections at the Federal level. The SAFE Justice Act expands on these lessons by seeking to curtail overcriminalization, increase evidence-based sentencing alternatives, reduce recidivism, and increase transparency and accountability. Mr. Speaker, there is a serious, bipartisan appetite to address this issue now, from the House and the Senate to the White House; and I look forward to working with my colleagues to tackle serious criminal justice reform in this Congress. ____________________”