Political Quotes

“I thank the chairwoman, the ranking member, and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Moran) for bringing the Jenna Quinn act forward. It is so important. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Jenna Quinn act, a crucial piece of legislation that directly addresses the pervasive issue of child sexual abuse in our country. Unfortunately, child sexual abuse is a silent epidemic. The CDC estimates that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys will experience sexual abuse before the age of 18. In my home State of Pennsylvania, child abuse laws reflect the sobering reality of this crisis. Between 2019 and 2023, a period of 4 years, there were more than 32,000 individuals charged in child abuse cases, and of those charged, a striking 56 percent were between the ages of 19 and 35, and 23 percent of these defendants were charged with endangering the welfare of children, according to the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania. These numbers highlight the widespread and deeply rooted problem in our communities. They also reinforce the need for proactive measures to prevent child abuse before it occurs, which is exactly what the Jenna Quinn act seeks to accomplish. This bill empowers educators and school personnel, who are often on the front lines when it comes to identifying and stopping child sexual abuse, with the tools they need to recognize, report, and prevent the abuse from happening.…”