Dan Newhouse: “It truly is a great thing that we can come together on an issue of such importance. I thank the gentlewoman for her…”

“It truly is a great thing that we can come together on an issue of such importance. I thank the gentlewoman for her contributions and her sponsorship of Savanna's Act. Together, we can get this done. I thank the gentlewoman very much for coming tonight. Mr. Speaker, it may not be obvious to many of us, but some States are taking action. Some specific States have accomplished some things. In my own State of Washington, I have to mention the name of State Representative Gina Mosbrucker, who has been a critical ally in addressing this crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women. We have 29 federally recognized Tribes in Washington State, so it is critical that we have the State's support to help address this crisis. Representative Mosbrucker has spearheaded legislation to improve the reporting of crimes on and off the reservations and enhance coordination between the Washington State Patrol as well as Tribal law enforcement. Earlier this year, the Washington State Patrol released a report, as mandated by Representative Mosbrucker's legislation, outlining the number and status of cases of missing and murdered indigenous women throughout the State. The report revealed that there is much more work to be done in order to empower law enforcement of all jurisdictions-- State, Federal, Tribal, and local--to accurately report and investigate these crimes. I know Washington State is not the only State that is doing things.…”