Patrick Leahy: “I rise today as a long-time supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to join Senators Hatch, DeWine, Kohl, and…”

“I rise today as a long-time supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to join Senators Hatch, DeWine, Kohl, and Biden in introducing this legislation, S. 2363, to revise and extend the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Senator Hatch has been one of the best friends and supporters Boys and Girls Clubs could ever have and I have been privileged to work with him on issues that matter to the Boys & Girls Clubs. Too often the public sees Republicans and Democrats disagreeing. From time to time, even Senator Hatch and I disagree on important issues. But when it comes to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America there is no doubt that we see eye-to-eye: Today we introduce this bill to show the unified support of Republicans and Democrats for Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide. Children are the future of our country, and we have a responsibility to make sure they are safe and secure. I know firthand how well Boys & Girls Clubs work and what topnotch organizations they are. When I was a prosecutor in Vermont, I was convinced of the great need for Boys & Girls Clubs because we rarely encountered children from these kinds of programs. In fact, after I became a U.S. Senator, a police chief was such a big fan that he asked me to help fund a Boys & Girls Club in his district rather than helping him get a couple more police officers. In Vermont, Boys and Girls Clubs have succeeded in preventing crime and supporting our children.”