Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 1309, introduced by my colleague, Congressman Joe Courtney. This bill requires the Secretary of Labor to develop a comprehensive workplace safety and health standard. Ultimately, this legislation will protect the millions of workers in the healthcare and social service industries by implementing a violence prevention plan. Prevention plans and training are critical tools to mitigate dangerous situations if and when violent emergencies occur in the workplace. Clear and effective plans that address violence prevention benefit both the workers and their patients or clients; and violence prevention plans catered to the respective industries, using evidence- based practices, are even more effective. In the healthcare and social service industries especially, workplace safety reforms are much-needed. Social workers, like healthcare workers, are particularly vulnerable and susceptible to instances of workplace violence. Workers in both of these professions interact daily with people struggling with mental health, addiction, and/or recovering from trauma. Madam Chair, let me just tell you, personally, that I have been impacted by this. I am a former social worker. I will tell this quick story. I went to make a home visit. I was a geriatric social worker at the time. It was in a house, a shutdown house right down Lyons and Jensen. I believe, Madam Chair, that is in your district now.…”